Cultural differences
by SummonAWeasel
Summary: Years after the 4th War in Konoha Gakure some information comes to light. Team 10 is struggling with the problem of marital infidelity and cheating. Blank Period. ShikaTema, SaiIno, ChouKarui - New & old Ino-Shika-Cho.
1. Day I: The power of imagination

**To your information, dear reader:**

 **1** \- I should warn you: english isn't my first language, so dear reader, I'm 100% sure that you will find spelling, grammatical, lexical and stylistic errors in the text. Sorry! Let me know what I should improve or correct. **A constructive review is more than welcome. :)**

 **2** \- Sadly, I don't own Naruto - all characters and world belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

 **3** \- The presented story is the result of my own reflections on cultural differences and problems related to acclimatization in another country as a person from abroad. I focused on the theme of marital cheating because the Japanese view on this subject is completely different than European one.

If we assume that Konoha is culturally such Japan in our real world. We can say that Suna is a bit like Iraq in the 70s, and Kiri is a bit like USA in the 80-90s. But of course, in the story, the action takes place in the world of Naruto.

 **4** \- I'm so into making story which take places in blank period (699 - 700). So many curious social problem is there! Like how our babys working? How politics go by?

* * *

The door slammed behind her back as she stepped inside with an energetic manner - her personal trademark. The jingling of windchaims hasn't died down yet, when she felt something was very wrong.

-"Did I disturb in something?" - Temari asked, when all eyes turned at her, and all conversations froze.

-"Temari! Welcome!" - Ino greeted her. She was the only member of her clanmans gathered in the flower shop whose acted casualy. - "How can I help you?"

She asked sincerely, although she used a mechanically worn-out cliche formula typical for a shop vendor. Or for a clan leader to whom everyone comes with all the problems.

Temari waited, still watched closely by two women and a man. Her old, well-practiced habits launch out. Paying attention to the details of the room, to the sounds, analyzing space of flower shop for a possible traps and predicting from which side the first blow will fall. On the other hand, there was a growing conviction that she should expect another kind of threat - verbal. The words could be the blades here.

The atmosphere thickened with a second per second. A heavy silence swelled with unspoken sentences. Such sentences that shouldn't reach her ears.

She wondered if the Yamanaks standing at the shop counter also belong to the Konoha Intelligence Division like Ino, or if they are just ordinary civilians ... and what tactics to choose in both cases ...

-"I wanted to help you," she said, deciding that the distance halfway between the counter and the door was strategically the best place to maneuver.- "At TenTen's was a delivery of goods. I'm going to buy Shikadai new equipment. I thought maybe I would ask if you want me to buy an extra set for Inojin. You know how kids lose shurikens at school ... My boy doesn't bring back home half of them."

-"Oh, yes! How nice of you, Temari! " - said Ino, she even clap her hands with joy. - "I didn't know that delivery is today. I also need a new set of shurikens. Inojin lost his during practices in the Academy, so I let him take mine. Wait, just ..."

"We'll finish later, Lady Ino," one of the women from the Yamanaka clan said coldly.

As soon as Ino looked at the woman, she frowned in sympathy. Blond beauty leaned her hands against the wooden counter.

-"I'm sorry, Akaru" - she bowed her head slightly. - "I invite you to my house in the evening. Then we can talk freely."

Akaru and her companions passed by Temari demonstratively, not honoring her with even a look. Windchimes sings when they open the door. Concerned Ino watched them through the storefront for a couple of silent moments. They marched along the sidewalk under a row of blooming cherries. With each step they were farther away, and further ...

\- "What was that?" Temari asked, annoyed. She didn't understand whatever she was witnessed and it pissed her off. She put her hands on hips, watching the receding trio.

Ino only sighed heavily in response. Tied the tall ponytail more tightly, then pulled off her apron and folded it carefully. Her shoulders slumped as she approached to Temari, still worried.

-"Dramas" - she muttered, pressing her cheek to her palm.

Temari understood that she might have asked about things about which the head of the Yamanaka clan couldn't talk. She knew from experience how difficult these moments are when private life collides with professional life. When you cannot entrust your thoughts to your closest friend, because their content touches top secret information affecting the fate of the country. Well, maybe in the case of Ino it wasn't about the fate of the country, but the analogy was in it indeed...

-"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked"

-"No, it's fine." Ino waved her hand and finally took her eyes off the spring-blooming street. - "I don't know what to do about it anyway. Just keep it for yourself, okay?"

-"Sure"

Temari was still confused. The silence was stretching time. She understood that Ino wanted to explain what had happened to her, but she still didn't do it. She was deep in her own thoughts. So much so that Temari felt sadness herself. She liked the leader of the allied Yamanak clan very much. Now they were as close to each other as family. She wanted to help her, trully.

-"Akaru is angry because her husband was not discreet enough," she finally said. - "She wants the clan to do something to punish Takeru for his lack of discretion."

-"Ino!" - suddenly hissed someone behind their back. Temari was frightened by the unexpected sound, so she quickly drew the kunai from behind her obi. She calmed down when she saw the matriarch of the Yamanaka family behind the counter. She left from the back room with a flower pot. It was tiny yellow flowers whose name Temari unfortunately didn't knew, but their view calmed her keened senses.

-"Come on?" - Ino growled. A blond beauty was annoyed. - "I think I can talk about what's bothering me with a friend, mother?"

-"You make things worse," the older woman said, glaring meaningfully at Temari. Her eyes were screaming "This is Nara!"

-"How!? Tale me how!? And it will spread through the Village anyway. Yes mom, thats how things had went with Ensui - she was disgusted, but after a while again her lips bent downward, and concern painted through her forehead.

-"Akaru's husband failled the mission?" - Temari asked, because she still didn't understand what was the actuall problem.

-"No, he wasn't _discreet_ ," repeated Ino again, as if that explained everything. But her friend was still lacking the nuance. Key information. Temari frowned, trying to guess what the problem was, if the lack of discretion wasn't related to the mission.

-"Did he reveal clan's secret techniques?"

-"No," Ino sighed, exchanging glances with her mother. Both seemed helpless in the face of the fact that Nara didn't understand the subtle information. What only pissed Temari, she nervously moved weight of her body to other leg. So the younger of Yamanaka woman added: "His affair came to light. Rumor spread among the members of the clan, so Akaru feels ashamed."

Temari tilted her head, suddenly feeling empathic understanding of the woman's icy weariness. In her place she would probably feel a cold fury. Also understandable why Ino feels overwhelmed by the woman's problem.

-"It's a matter between them. Don't let yourself get trap in this" - she advised, comforting her friend with quick arm squeezes.

Ino's reaction surprised her: she opened her eyes in astonishment and looked at her mother again, who made a meaningful gesture which in translation sound like "And I didn't say it would be so? This is the _typical_ Nara!"

-"What is going on guys?" - Temari was already tired of not understanding what was going on in the conversation.

-"Akaru's husband," younger Yamana said quietly, as both women came to the counter on the other side of which the family matriarch stood. - "he didn't keep his affair in secret. If I don't react at all, I will give signal to the members of my clan that they can be as indiscreet as he was. Which brings humiliation their wifes and husbands. I have to do something, but I don't know what. Yet. I just don't know what is the best choice right now."

Temari heard so much bad information that she wanted to shout out. Ino probably didn't understand what she just said!

-"Let Akaru and her husband solve it themselfs, Ino" - she repeated. " As your friend, I advise you not to enter in their problems as a third in party. It will only bring you more problems. Do you suspect that some other people in your clan are cheating on their spouses? Realy? Of course, it is worth discussing some rules with the clanmans, but ... " - then Ino's mother interrupted her.

-"As Shikamaru's wife, you should know that sometimes leader need to..." began slowly the older woman. She talked to Lady Nara in the way, how people usualy talk to mean children.

-"As the wife of Nara clan's leader _AND_ as daughter and sister of Kazekage _AND_ as a former diplomat, I know that sometimes you have to firmly grab people for their balls!" - snapped furied Temari. - "And also that sometimes it is worth to wait until people castrate themselves and then peacefully judge them."

Nara liked Ino's mother, but the topic of conversation caused that they shot each other with hostile looks. Ino looked at them anxiously.

-"Temari, Akaru is in a difficult situation. She don't want to bring shame either to the clan or to herself..." - explained Ino very slowly, she felt thick tension in shop.

-"But she did nothing wrong. Her husband was the one having an affair! She is aggrieved one!"

-"But he didn't keep cheating on her in secret ..."

-"It's probably good that finally it came out, what kind of skunk he is"- Temari shrugged, and Ino's mother laughed angrily.

-"And you, of all people, say something like that ?!" - she still mocked.

-"Yes, I am," Temari said, leaning over the counter in a defiant manner. - "They were married, right? He wanted to spend his life with Akaru, right? He vowed her, right? Why did he look for excitement from another woman!?"

-" _Because he could!_ "- older Yamanaka said also leaning against the counter. Her whole body was imitating Temari Nara's pose.

-"And does an adult, thinking man do all the things he can do!? Just becouse?!" - Nara asked rhetorically, loudly. - "Especially if he consciously accepted the rules of marriage? And the responsibility that goes with it?"

-"God, Temari, they are eleven years after their wedding!" - Ino's mother hissed.

-"And it changes something? I'm also eleven years after my wedding and nothing has changed the vows I have made back then! No wonder Akaru is angry."

-"It was only sex! Only the body! He didn't get emotionally involved, at least he says so. He just needed to _'blow off steam'_."

-"And this is supouse to be his excuse? The facts are that he was in an intimate situation with a different persone than with whom he swore loyalty and honesty!"

-"Girl, it's a pure biology of the body, sometimes it's necessary!"

-"And he has a faithful spouse for that! For the other person in marriage , it is also 'sometimes necessary' to _'blow off seam'_."

-"Exactly!" - Ino's mother shouted in desperation, because she didn't quite understand where Nara saw the problem.

-"Oh boy" - Ino sighed, rubbing her forehead. As if she suddenly understood where Temari's nervousness comes from. - "Temari, you must know that in our culture, satisfying sexual needs outside of marriage, is ... okay. Of course, not like everyone does that, but many married couples with longer experience will often turn a blind eye to their partner's indiscretions as long as the family unit is not endangered. Some women will not even consider their husband visiting a soapland as cheating, since it is only relieving a physical need and feelings are not part of it."

-"WHAT?" - she staggered. - "I haven't heard of such a practice. I mean, I know about soapland and unhappy couples, but..."

Ino felt tired: the dilemma that stood in front of her associated with Akaru and the fact that both dear to her heart women trying to scratch each other's eyes didn't help her now.

-"Because you don't talk about it aloud. Like never..." - said Ino. - "The point is to keep discretion. That no one would know about it. Akaru is not angry at Takeru because he cheated on her. She is angry with him because he didn't keep it secret. Now she was covered with shame in the eyes of many people..."

-"It is sick!" - - Temari grimaced, while the matriarch of the Yamanaka family dryly acknowledged:

-"I do not know what this stupid woman blames him for, after all, Takeru gave her a child. What else did she want !? Ino, you have to put into her head that she mus..."

Now, Temari moved utterly, jumped away from the counter. She looked wounded and angry, so Ino caught her attention to protect her mother from friend's anger:

-"In old-fashioned families, women after marriage dropping their careers. It is the duty of men to earn for a family, and the task of a woman to support her husband, take care of home and bringing up children. If there are children in the family, of course. Well, then, usually, husband and wife do not make it out anymore..."

Suddenly, all the situations she had witnessed in Kanoha over the years - and which, as it turned out, she didn't fully understand - returned to her. She even remembered the loud case of Ensui Nara's affair with the young jounin - and how his wife forgave him. She remembered how she visited her to show her support, but woman didn't want to see anyone. She remembered how many unpleasant accusations had fallen at her from the mouths of other Nara's women. As they sought the cause of cheating in Ensiu's wife herself. Then she thought with sadness, that it was so not fair. How we, woman, can be cruelly unanimity to each other!

She also remembered that nothing had changed in the relationship of that pair. They live as if nothing happened. Temari thought that this was an example of a toxic relationship or enormous love, but she decided that meddling in their drama would be worse. Shikamaru then also advised her not to engage in the problem of that couple. "Let them solve it themselves"

Then, it hit her like lighting bolt from the clear sky. Shikamaru! Then she interpreted his advice differently: she thought hers husband agreed with her moral compass, but now ... Now she wondered if he had deliberately hidden from her the quiet _discretion_ of the Fire Country culture. She felt cold chills and a headache.

-"I don't understand" - she sighed - "When children appear in family, then a man can have a mistress?"

-"I repeat, not all relationships work like this - said Ino, but her mother and Temari were as if they didn't listen to her anymore.

-"Woman too," older Yamanaka ' _comforted_ ' Temari.

-"But why? They are a married. They cannot be just together?" - she felt like a child asking eatch question. - "And if they don't make it work, it's not easier to divorce? Honorably, or so, don't you think?"

-"And lose family?" - Ino's mother smiled coyly, and Temari felt at the sound of these three words as an iceberg had been weighing her stomach down. Oh, no, she had to admit that there was probably nothing more terrible for her. That is why she petrified, as Ino's mother, still based on the shop counter, says quietly: "No, love, it wouldn't be easier. Village, clan, family. In this order. When you think about how much good you do for the community, your private pain decreases. You learn to accept him."

Temari knew a lot about pain. And about his acceptance. So she just nodded.

-"But I think that cheating is gross. And that no self-respecting woman or men should experience this."

-"I agree with you,"- said Ino, raising her head high. - "but now you see how hard decision is in front of me."

-"No self-respecting woman?" - Yamanaka matriarch snorted - "Girl, you are exaggerating! There are many respected women who live in our culture! Which can deal with the infidelity of their partners. Look only at Yoshino. Nobody would ever say anything similar about her. And all of Konohas knew about her husband's cheatings. This old stag had no idea how to be discreet when he got drunk ... Eh.

The older woman waved her hand.

This information scared Temari.

She thought about Shikamaru again. He told her about how his father used to come home drunk. At dusk. She never thought that he was... It seemed so obvious now ...! But in these stories, Shika always emphasized how much father loved Yoshino. How he cared about her tenderness and harshness...

Now it seemed to fit this _newfound_ cultural pattern: just _blow off steam_ , without geting _emotionally involved_.

Perhaps the apple hasn' t fallen very far from the tree...

* * *

-"Temari!" - plucket of her thoughts woman put down a can of coconut milk on the shop shelf. At the same time, she stably set feet on the ground. Ready for an unexpected attack.

-"Everything is fine with you, Nara?"

Temari Nara felt uncomfortable under the examinating gaze of Karui Akimichi. She calmed her nervous thoughts. She's terribly edgy today... Not good, she let herself be surprised. What happens with her reflexes and focus? Is she aging? Her senses dulled or what? No, she was in the grocery store, she had no reason to expect an attack, but a kunoichi with her haritage should expect unexpected! Annoyed by her own behavior, looked at Karui again. The red-haired woman had a comfortable bag on her back, and a bottle of water and a protein bar in her hands. Unarmed. Why should she be armed? Because what for? They met in the store! They are civilians! Temari, get a grip, for fuck sake!

-"Yes, everything is fine," she said, adjusting the shopping basket in her hands. She felt stupid.

-"Do you realy shopping so far away from home?" - Karui was surprised, tilting her head. - "Grocery stores in Nara's estate have gone bankrupt? Or do you train long-distance marches with a load?"

Karui was nasty. But it was intentional and in the tone of their typical, mean conversations. Both of them usually took pleasure in exchanging ironic and just nasty comments. But not now, not today.

-"I just went to Tentens and on the way back I wanted to do some shopping" - she sighed.

Her lack of humor jumped out at Karui, she blinked several times, tilting her head.

-"Are you sure that nothing happened?"

-"What are you doing here? This part of the Village is not actually at all close to the Akimichi estate?" - she asked, her voice raised in irritation. It pissed Temari that Karui has notic that something is bothering her. Mainly because she didn't want to admit that she was bothered at all. Even in front of herself.

-"I was buying a new shuriken set for Chocho," she said, resting hand with protein bar on her hip and rolling her eyes. - "This kid will finish me off! She loses the equipment with the same speed with which she absorbs chips!

Temari couldn't help smiling.

-"I know your pain. Shikadai and Inojin also dropped out of all the shurikens."

-"No shit, Nara?"

Temari shrugged her shoulders and made a face that meant "with these children hands always full" Once again she adjusted the grip on the shopping basket and both women moved toward the cash register area.

-"I'm going to grab my sassy daughter, and then we go for dinner at a restaurant. If you are not in a hurry, join us" - Karui said as she watched Temari packing her groceries. - "I assure you that it will be fun and tasty, as always it is with Akimichis. You ain't never had a city-guide on goodies like us."

-"Thank you, but I have to go home and cook dinner for my boys," she said, picking up her shopping bags.

-"Your loss." - she spread her hands wide.

-"Another time, okay?"

-"I'll accompany you a little bit. Are you also going towards the square in the shopping district?

-"There is no other way, Karui," she grumbled, stepping through the scattered door into the street.

-"Maybe we can grab your own little shit by the way?" - friend suggested.

-"Naaah..."- sighed, but she also smirked. - "When he realized that he would be ten years old this year, I have a ban on approaching near to academy. It's already _that_ age when it's embarrassing when mother picks up her son from school."

-"Really? I haven't heard anything like that from my sassy child yet" - Akimichi said with some fear in her voice, but then a smile appeared: "I think I'm not in danger. As long as I pay for food Chocho will always be happy to see her mommy."

They went to the main street. They turned towards the Academy and walked quietly along the promenade upon the rapidly flowing cannal. On the other side of the stream, pink _sakuras_ blossomed in a row, and that's why it was so crowded there. It was one of the first, longing, sunny, spring days. The sunny views outside the window tempted people to go for walk, but the temperature wasn't favorable for a long, lazy stroll over parks. It was still cold, and most people - cheated by the beautiful sunlight and blooming cherries - dressed to light clothes.

Temari drowned in her thoughts. With eyes of imagination she saw their entire little-trio of Ino-Shika-Cho. She remembered all the brilliant lines and smiles, that makes her felt a bit lighter again. Thinking about children silenced her nervousness.

-"You know, I think your little brat just doen't give a shit about anything" - laughed Temari. - "Shikadai is more concerned about his social _image_. You know, he want to be _'cool'_ in the eyes of classmates."

-"You're right! - Karui waved her hand with protein bar enthusiastically. - "Chocho is just the whole Kumoin-strong-spirit! True self-confidence! She doesn't care about Konoha's cultural limitations!"

Temari got angry because her son was obviously insulted. She rebuked her friend with glare.

-"Come on? It is true!" - with a convincing tone, she stuck her finger towards Temari face. - "Your son just got into his father! Stop staring at me like you would like to pick out my eyes! I assure you, you don't want to pick out your own lovely eyes with my katana! So don't make dead wish!"

For a moment, they killed themselves with deadly glances, but then they burst into laughter at the absurd tension. They walked in silence for a moment, until finally Temari decided:

\- "I'll walk you a little, but not just at the Academy itself. I made a deal with Shikadai."

She paused for a moment, watching her friend open the bar.

-"Karui?"

-"Yum?" - she hummed while eating the protein bar.

-"Did you know that in Konoha it is normal that the spouses aren't faithful after the birth of the child?"

-"Yup." - Then added: - "And this isn't the rule either."

-"Did Chouji tell you about it?"

-"I don't know. I don't remember. Maybe he does. Maybe somebody else told me? And why do you ask?"

-"Because just a few hours ago I found out about it... "- she stopped, unable to say out loud what she had on her mind "... and I am terrified"

-"Is everything alright between you and Shikamaru?" Karui asked with caution.

-"Of course!" -Temari glared at Karui. - "I'm asking about it because I don't understand it..." - She heard her voice falter.- "It's a cultural difference that seems very strange to me. And filthy. And repulsive."

-" _Ye-ah_ "- Karui said significantly. She raised her eyebrows doubtfully.

-"What _'ye-ah'_?"

-"Well, at least I know why you drifted away in the store over a damn can of coconut milk."

-"I didn't drifted away, stop it." - frowned.

-"You drifted away in thought" - she narrowing her eyes and biting protein bar. - "You looked as if the hell broke loose!"

\- "Not true! I just wondered about something else, Karui!" - she moved away from her friend. She watched the street looking for something to stop her eyes, but nothing caught her attention. They were approaching the square where their paths would separate. Her thoughts flowed in some chaotic, painful way, and her heart was beating in a crazy rhythm. She felt herself getting hot. Felt strong fear and anger. She wanted to wipe something off the face of the earth! - "Okay, I admit, I was thinking about cheating."

-"With who!?" - Karui shouted.

-"Not me, you stupid!" - shouted back, angry and amuset at the same time. - "Nor is anyone else! I just thought about what I heard today and what a huge cultural difference it is."

-"How do I know?" - She shrugged. - "I never thought about it, realy."

-"Doesn't it shocking you?" - she was surprised, Lady Nara felt embarrassed by her earlier thoughts, and thus even more angry.

\- "It's shocking, but if I have to be honest I don't care about it. It doesn't apply for me and Chouji and will never apply, so I don't think about it at all."

-"What do you suggest!? That I think about it, because..." - Temari raised herself with anger until the air ran out. She cannot even put in the words that what Karui implied right away. - "I thought that since you are the same as me, from another village, from another society I can discu..."

-"Temari!"- former kumonin interrupted her with sharp tone of voice. - "the fact that I don't care only concerns my relationship. I didn't compare myself to _anyone_ and it wasn't suppouse to be a mean comment. I trust in Chouji and I'm convinced that he would never do something so stupid in his life."

-"But if it's normal here, then they may not even know that we will not accept it!"

-"We"? "They?" - Akimichi repeated and laughed.

Temari felt hot heat coming from her cheeks. Shit, she said too much! Karui looked through her. She felt pathetic! And so ... exposed, vulnerable.

-"Eh," sighed the red-haired woman, eating the last bite of her protein bar. She left Temari to throw the foil paper in the basket, and when she returned in a gentle tone said: "Our husbands knew who they married, right?

-"Yes," Temari grumbled, looking fiercely at her shoes and two gloceries bags.

-"They knew we'd gut them alive, if they'd even thought of another woman, right?

-"Yes."

-"They love us crazy, right?"

This question was so strange and private that Temari felt indignant, that someone was asking about the feelings she shared with her husband. It doesn't matter if one of her closest friends asked or not. Her feelings are an intimate case, which she can only talk about to her husband! Shocked, she looked at Karui Akimichi, who was walking beside her, her hands resting on her hips. She gave her as bluntly look as bluntly were her question.

-"... yes ..."- Temari gave up, feeling strangely helpless at the moment.

-"Hey, Nara?" - Karui, concerned, leaned towards Temari, clearly surprised by her expression and delicacy. In a soft, gentle tone, she added: "Are you sure everything goes well with Shikamaru?"

-"Yes! Sure, Akimichi!" - she exploded, annoyed. She didn't know what she was feeling, but at the same time she was aware that she was acting strangely. - "Sorry. I have a bad day today, sudden spring time! My head hurts."

Karui watched her for a moment longer and finally turned away. She decided to let go of the topic. For now, at least. Karui understood Temari better than she suspected. They were similar. On different ways. Both of them had a world-wide military career, their skills were widely known and both helped the world of Shinobi enter a new era. They made a difficult choice that was once unthinkable, one could say that it was equal to coup d'état: they put their feelings and selfish desires above the good of their countries. What they did was a revolution for the society of all kunoichi. They showed that in times of peace, the former enemy can not only become a political partner, but also a spouse. And entering into a marriage doesn't mean neither treason of the fatherland nor separation from loved ones. Following the feelings ceased to be a choice between love for another human being and the loss of their relatives from their homeland and exclusion from the society. But Temari and Karui simply lived in a different place and their family expanded. Dual citizenship. The new order has given birth to trust.

Of course - no matter how long they would puting effort to be one of Konohans, nor how long they lived in KanohaGakure - they will be aliens to this generation forever. Their cuisine is different, they behave differently, they have a different body language. They sang their children foregin lullabies, told stranger stories, used a different - blunt and loud - language on the playgrounds, making other mothers shiver on their backs. They are fearless and direct, so it happens that among the Konohas women they feel... excluded. It's not their fault, nor local one's. Just a lot of tiny, tiny things are lost in translation...

Cultural differences.

Their hot temperaments and life experience fuel some automatic reactions learned years ago, which is why Karui understands the behavior of Temari. The more she is scared, or the more she feels insecure or powerless, the more she is angry. In combat this is useful - especially correlated with the tactical mind and physical strength. But in raising children or in marriage, this isn't a very fortunate first reaction.

Karui knows it perfectly. She's exactly the same ... That's why she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Inside, she felt furious at view of such a _weak_ Temari. But this isn't talk for this right moment. It wouldn't make sense if both of them, now in the middle of the city, began to throw themselves at their throats - although she was convinced that it would certainly help her friend a little. Only after getting rid of her anger Temari could confront with her real feelings... Instead, Karui decided to show her support in a different way:

-"Nara?"

She find herself on the other side of the patient look of teal eyes.

-"Look, this culture is basically a paradise for cheaters. It is a fact, simply" - she shrugged. - "The long working hours and alcohol-tight employee parties provide endless excuses for late arrivals home. Inns with rooms rented for hours are everywhere, everybody can buy a discreet and anonymous entertainment for a low price. I don't believe you didn't know that until now. At least, you guessed it. No willing partner to be found? Call-Girls will offer tired workers the happy ending they need before their long run home. Buying their silence isn't expensive..." - she hung her voice, feeling her own face settling into the same worried grimace that was forming more and more on her friend's face.

-"Because it is _'only the body'_ , men only do _'blow off steam'_ " - Karui laughed sadly, quoting some social truth. She spread her hands wide, a little helpless in face of this absurdity of what she says. - "because there is no 'emotional involvement' in this. And if there is no emotional involvement, you can not talk about cheat. This is normal here. But that's _their_ thing. Our husband knew who they were married with. Belive me, they wouldn't do something so stupid. They know the consequences..."

Temari was silent, her lips tightening in a narrow line. She weighed Karui's words - so harsh and sarcastic. The emotions were still there. She getting used to what she just heard and at the same time felt how the headache was increasing. She had this lump in her throat like after you dry-swallow a big pill. There was some words she was afraid to say aloud. She was so hard concentrating on not knowing, not understanding what she wanted to say, that she felt that she would begin to sob. There was a dampness of tears in her eyes. So she took a gasp. So terribly angry and confused!

\- "Anyway, Chouji wouldn't have time for it anyway. Or even an opportunity" - Karui said, laughing at the thought of it. - "Either he's on missions or he's with me. Or he deals with the clan's chores. He can not lie and is an hopeless guardian of secrets. Cheating and lying don't lie within his personality. And after a drinking, he usually has a low libido, so I don't have to worry about this option too."

Temari keep silent. Her head hurt even more ... The metal rim of thought squeezed her temples like a vise! She was angry at Karui, so terribly bad!

-"Mom!" - the high-pitched voice rang and almost immediately three girls passed their way. - "Hi auntie Temari!"

-"What are you doing here, Chocho?" - Karui pleased, answering the greetings of the other two girls. One of them was a daughter of Sakura.

-"We went today to see the chunin training grounds. We were up to the Forest of Death!"

-"What!?"- shouted Temari, terrified. She knew these training ground very well, and at the very thought that a group of children - including her own! - had entered the Forest, fear passed straight through her like an arrow. She could feel the each hair on her body stand up. They aren't even geniens yet! It happens that trained shinobi coudn't handle with the danger that is there!

Karui, seeing her friend's reactions, immediately changed her attitude: she caught herself by hips and squinted her eyes at her daughter.

-"Chocho exaggerates" - Sarada explained quickly. - "Shino-sensei took us to the fence of the Forest of Death, that we walked around. He lectured us about how to use terrain amenities in combat techniques. We talked about what we see from behind the fence."

The women exchanged glances: calmed and amused at the same time. They have behaved like neurotic mothers! They panicked before they found out whether there was any reason to panic!

-"We just finished classes. We are going to school to take our things" - Chocho added. - "Will you go with us?"

-"Sure" -Karui smiled, brushing bangs from her daughter's face with a tender gesture.

-"Mom, you have to see what Boruto brought to academy! Somewhere I have it..." - she said by searching her bag for the equipment, for what other girls reacted by rolling their eyes. - "Where did I hide it?"

-"Oh, those stupid Boruto. Chocho, this is really stupid and unnecessary" - Sarada Uchiha said very patiently and very instructively. - "Shinobi don't use colored weapons!"

-"But it is sooo cute!" - Chocho moaned, making a sweet face and still buzzing metal pieces in her sachet.

While girls in this innocent and charming way exchanged their remarks about colorful and shiny shurikens. Temari looked around the square seeking for her son. She saw him when he saw her. Initially, she didn't pay attention to the mixture of irritation and shock he presented. Her attention was drawn to how tall he was compared to his peers. And how short were the pants she had recently bought for him. She moaned inwardly.

Shikadai overtook his colleagues walking towards her.

-"O-ho," Karui whispered quietly enough for her friend only to hear. They exchanged knowing, crooked grins. - "Maybe you will join us, anyway?"

-"Thanks, but no," she said, trying to tame her smile. She unwittingly broke the deal with her son, and his teenage irritation seemed funny to her.

The boy bowed slightly to greet his aunt, and she returned the greeting. Then Karui took her daughter with a bunch of her arguing friends and walked along the canal promenade.

-"What are you doing here?" - Shikadai grounded through his teeth.

He passed his mother as if they didn't know each other.

Temari raised an eyebrow. Oh - o! So their relationship have entered the period of a problematic teenager in full swing. She followed her son calmly, realizing that they were closely watched by his colleagues.

-"I was strolling with Karui, my son. I going home to cook dinner."

Shikadai tilted his head as if he considering all the circumstances.

-"I'm not a child anymore" - he muttered, turning over his shoulder. - "You don't have to pick me up from the academy itself."

-"I don't have to pick you up at all," she said with a smirk.

-"Exactly," he grunted, walking forward. - "Let's go home."

But it was nice to know that her humourous teenager thought that mommy was taking him from school. Some part of him wanted attention of his mother, and some needed to rebel against this attention.

Only now Temari saw a group of boys (including a tiny Inojin ... when it happened that all these children had grown up !?) whose looking at the back of a walking Shikadai with sneering smirks.

-"Son," she said in a low, firm voice that usually meant to her son that he has problem.

Therefore, she was not completely surprised that his laidback posture immediately went away. The boy straightened up, pulled his neck into the shoulders, and pressed his hands to his sides. After a moment, he turned to look at the woman with panic in his eyes.

-"Would you be so kind and gave Inojin the shopping I made for his mother?" - she asked gently, putting the grocery grids on the ground. - "Ino asked me today for few things." - she said pulling off the backpack.

The boy, realizing that no form of punishment is coming, again assumed a laidback attitude.

\- "Yeah, sure ..." he said a little confused. Shikadai pushed hands into his pockets again, watching as mum pulling a heavy package from her backpack.

He took the package from her with a gentle, polite gesture. Seeing him like that, Temari felt a touch of tenderness and pride. He was such a little wonder. Her heart was bursting with love, she wanted to hug him (she get a grip on herself, thankfully!). This little urchin was her whole world. For him, she would do literally everything!

She watched as he approached the group of children, and gave to Inojin a package. That resulted in derisive smirks (and probably comments) at Inojin. Which, moreover, blushed when other boys were nudget him with their elbows. It made her laugh when she saw her child rolling his eyes, sigh terribly, and nod his head towards her - to the sidewalk, by the canal. She saw other children look at her curiously, and Inojin barely noticeably waves his hand in greeting. She imagined what Shikadai could say: "what a drag, but my annoying mother sat on my case, I have to go with her or prevent cataclysm at home"

Yes... it would suit him.

She sighed, putting the backpack again on her back. What a little smartass! - she smiled.

Temari saw nothing wrong in playing the role of the scarecrow on naughty children, especially since she was famous for being ruthless kunoichi. It was nice to have an area where she can celebrating her reign of undisputed queen. But she had the strange feeling that in time, shouting would no longer be the ultimate way to enforce obedience. Shikadai is growing up. His character, however, is too similar to her own, so Temari is afraid that they'll end up yelling at each other, and this will not lead anyone to anything.

Eh, she sighed. She must revise the ways of motivating her son...

She picked up a grocery bags from the sidewalk, but before she could leave with them, she felt her son's small hands taking burden from her hands.

-"Shikadai, what are you doing?"

-"Give it to me, woman," he grumbled. - "I will not let you bring this home by yourself. It's heavy."

-"Do you think I can not handle it?" - she snorted sarcastically.

-"I think it's unmanly to look idly at your own mother carrying heavy things and then wait for her to cook you dinner." - boy said bluntly.

-"It's sweet, son..."

-"Whats a pain..." - he complained, turning his head to hide that praise made him smile. It's embarrassing at the age of ten enjoying so much beeing praise by mommy. Awww!

Temari watched her child's pineapple head, and thought about how the apple hasn' t fallen very far from the tree. He is spitting image of his father!

At the thought of Shikamaru, she felt a heavy headache again...

* * *

Temari poured a glass of plain beer. Another _small cultural difference_ : she poured into a glass, because the pleasure of drinking from glasses was reserved for home, for the time of relax.

In Konoha, you drink sake - _sake_ which means alcohol in general. This name literally means rice vodka "sake", but when people here say "we go to sake," that means they intend to consume alcohol in general. So in Konoha, you drink sake from tiny pottery pots. Prudish hypocrites - a small pot doesn't mean that they will drink less. Well, there is a whole ceremony tied with a constant pouring into a pot, which can be quite charming, she has to admit. However, one looks badly at a person who openly admits to drinking a large amount of alcohol. In the tourist district of Hot Springs alcohol is served from tin pitchers or glass vessels, but this is a sensation on the scale of the Village.

However, the glasses are an exotic that Temari Nara took from the house in which she grew up: beautiful vessels on a long leg were imported to her father a long time ago from the northern Rim of the Land of Earth. The local glaziers were famous for their crafts and their wares were such an exclusive merchendise that it was worth trading in exchange for the precious gold dust of her father. And for other goodies, of course, but the glasses were one of those beautiful elements of her home in the desert with which she was bound by strong memories.

As a little girl, she liked to observe a cabinet in which her uncle - and father - kept glass wonders. The desert sun reflected in them, brightness striking the eyes. Sometimes it diffused light creating a rainbow on the sandstone walls. During the gala dinners, along with her brother, they play by flashing "bunnies on the walls" with those glasses. They were reprimanded by Baki and Yashamaru, and the council members gave them crooked glances. But father seems didn't bothered by the luminous bunnies - which is a pity, because they care about his attention most. Then she was frustrated because she has run of ideas how to get his attention. Later, this memory caused rage on father, because he ignored her and Kankuro not only as a teenagers, but also as an innocent sweet children, but now ... Eh, she can imagine that her father was delighted to see his unruly children - whose future was so uncertain! - in such childish, mischievous moods. And he didn't - _fucking_ \- care about councilmens at all. Her favour belonged to him for that fact alone.

And then, they were drink from the same glasses when only three of them were left...

Then she learned to drink beer. A skill that is especially useful if you're an ambassador. Alcohol not only untangles toungues, but also opens many doors...

By the natural sequence of things, when she organized herself at the Nara residence, she brought glasses straight from the Land of Earth. They used them only occasionally, for example at the clan ceremony. Or on special evenings. Today was a special evening... Damn special! - she thought clenching her jaw ...

She went to the bathroom with a large glass, which contents of pint of ale. She poured badly, too fast. The liquid began to foam, so she drank a cloud of beer. Then she licked the foam running down her hands. What a waste. A terrible mess. She managed to avoid getting dirty her clothes, but a few drops of alcohol left behind on the floor.

When Temari entered the bathroom, she immediately put her glass on the sink to wash her hands. Sighed looking at her reflection in the mirror: on all these wrinkles - tiny, shallow, yes, but they're still present ... As if she was not counting, she was in her late thirties. Almost forty ... This remark irritated her again, raising her headache. She reminded herself that she must think of something else. Do something else! To dim her own mind.

She turned on the water. In the mirror, she saw the bathtub fill up and she calmly began the evening toilet. It was late. Very late, even her son was already asleep. He usually lied that he went to sleep, but he really played in bed on his goddamn pocket-game. After she had cleaned the dishes, Temari checked on him. He snored with the game in his hand. Eh. She smiled at the memory itself. When he slept, he seemed so tiny...

She undressed, threw clothes on a pile on the floor. She went into the tub, naked, with a glass in her hand, and took a sip. The water was hot, and the bathroom had a pleasant temperature. She felt the purifying (both way: physically and spiritually) heat of the fluid wrap her around her. Fortunately, spring was already beginning - there ware so many years, and she still isn't used to winter and cold.

Her thoughts returned to today's conversation with Ino. She shuddered. Drank a large sip of beer to drown out the unpleasant feeling. What was it? Fear? Anger? Hard to say. Both of them always go hand in hand in Temari's hearth. She was angry at what she heard. How can you betray someone who has been sworn to be fatefull? It's dishonorable. How can any kind of cheating be justify, by that thy had a long term relationship? Or the fact that if a wife gave birth to a child, she becomes unattractive? How can one crush someone's trust? And a sense of security?

The water splashed as she raised hand. Temari covered her face. Perticular thought come to her mind, the one which she pushed away with all her strength through whole day. Her mind was playing with her. That's why she drinks sake now, so she doesn't think about it! To drown it out! And not to call it!

But the words of Ino's mother echoed in her ears: "This old deer ..." and her own observation: "An apple hasn' t fallen very far from the tree?" Shika didn't tell her about _this_ cultural precedent, because he probably thought she already knew it. She doubted that there was a... hidden goal in it. But still, she thought about hidden goals, right? Why does she doubt him? She trusts him with her whole self! She trusted him enough to be his wife! To be with him, she changed her whole life! And she was happy with him! But in the imagination she saw the terrifying images: the familiar office in the Hokage Tower was enveloped in the darkness, and on the desk, the bodies intertwined with limbs. Her husband and a strager woman. And a lot of shadows. His shadows ... Those reserved only for herself. In a situation reserved only for herself.

This scene was cruelly painful. Lady Nara was breathless, it got so cold in that warm water. Why was she imagining something so horrible? No, no, it's some kind of paranoia! Genjutsu! Her lazy husband wouldn't be able to do anything like that. He wouldn't put so much effort for something like that. It would require keeping him secret, dodging. This is not his story. Besides, he loves her, right? Because he loves her? Yes? And he knows how much he would hurt her with satisfying sexual needs outside of their mutual relationship, right? Can you say that 'it's just body'? Could she forgive him? No, no, she shouldn't even consider it...

However, he knows how his wife would react, right? He knows he would lose her the moment he broke her trust...?

So, if Shikamaru loves her and knows what her reaction would be - IF something, with someone, has everhappened, - wouldn't he keep it a secret?

At that thought Temari cried. She felt the tears running down her face into the tub, and the sobbing shook her chest. Her heart ached so badly. Oh, no, no, no, nothing like that could have happened! Please! No! - she begging in her mind. Well, she doesn't know who. Any divine existence? Fate? She wanted to get drunk. She doesn't want to feel the pain she felt now. Temari drank a large sip of beer, tilted her glass so much that the liquid runs her neck and hair into the water.

Why isn't she so sure her marriage as Karui was sure of her relationship?

Their marriage had the same term as the marriage of this Yamanakas. Eleven years. Eleven years. "he gave her a child. What else did she want !? " - she mimicking Ino's mother Ino. Eleven years. And a child. She cried again. Her breath broke in her chest. It occurred to her that it was stupid! That nothing happened (or at least Temari doesn't know anything about it), and she is still mourning about... something the most horrible in the world. She felt guilty again, because she doubts in Shikamaru, but...

She didn't know what she would like to say on her own defense. She loved him so much. It is normal that she was jealous. Right? This is normal in this situation: today she got information, it is obvious that she analyzes it and refers it to her own life. But damn it! The last time she was jealous when she learned that Shika is in close relationship with Ino! It was eons ago! She has already done with it!

But these eleven years... Eh...

Only she has worse than those Yamanaka-woman: she is much older than her husband. She looked down at her naked body immersed in water: at long and slender legs, at her belly marked by stretch marks after pregnancy, at flaccid skin on the not-so-full-breasted and dry skin on the back of her hands. She sobbed. For calming, she took a few deep breaths and again followed the stream of thoughts...

... in addition, she is a full-time mother. Housewife. Of course, she still trains and is ready to return to military duty at any time, but the facts are that her duty and drill is now performed mainly in the kitchen. How stupid she was that she would take such a pleasure from this ordinary, safe reality for years! YEARS!

During all this time _he_ works with Naruto, as quiet voice of reason; As all in one, a powerful behind-the-scenes strange-o. He is a handsome man in his prime, in power, intelligent, ironic. Her heart was tearing from her chest, she had a problem to breathe. Suddenly, she saw the obvious pattern and the reason why many women - even a lot of younger women - could see Shikamaru as even more attractive than when she and him vowed love to eachother.

Plus, these brags of Karui! She pissed her off elier! Temari was so angry at her for all the things that Karui claims that Chouji doesn't do, and which let her to feel safety and secure! A light sleep! Damn it!

She wanted to throw a glass. She even take swing, and more beer spilled into the tub... but she refrained herself. She drank everything that was left in the glass and put the vessel on the edge of the tub. It clicked loudly on the ceramic tiles.

Where were they after eleven years? In what place? They making love last time like... good question: when? A month ago? Two months ago? Maybe even earlier. She didn't remember ... They barely talked, and when they actually talked, it was mainly about the child. How was it at school, what jutsu he learned, when and who would take the boy to training. Or about food. Shit! What did role of mother bring to her? The fact that the only thing she can talk with her quite intelligent, well-read partner is what to cook him for dinner? She was pathetic. They've got so far away from each other... That's so damn far away...

Why hasn't she noticed it so far? She used to be important to him once. She was someone whose opinions matter for him. And now? He couldn't share information about work because they ware highly classified. And she was civillian. When something troubled him he preferred to lie in silence, yes, next to her, sometimes holding her by the hand, but that doesn't mean partnership in particular. That means presence. And that's it...

It came to this, that she doesn't even remember when they were the last time made love. And it didn't even seems so important to her, until today. After all, they will make love wherever they want to, right? Eh ... and if they hardly see each other, when should they want to?

What did Ino say? That after marriage, no, after children appear in a family, then married couples do not pay attention to having sex. Because both sides take their roles in society. In traditional families - _old-fashilned_ Temari remembered the sour words of Ino - women quit their professional jobs and career, stay at home to support their hard-working husband and bring up children. She dreamed of creating such a traditional family, but she didn't know that what kind of terrible price she could have to pay for her dream of safty home.

Where is the passion? Where are the looks that once devoured her during the Allied Force meetings? Where is her excitement with his presence? Once she couldn't wait to enter with him into discussions about various difficult topics. Once they worked together to change the world to be better place for new generation...

-"Hi! I stopped by to pick fews things up." - Shikamaru's voice snatched Temari from her thoughts. She quickly gathered the water in her hand and threw it in her face to wipe away the tears.

It didn't matter, because he barely looked at her anyway. He rushed into the bathroom and walked to the toilet bowl. She heard him unzaipping the fly, and then the rivulets rustled against the ceramic wall.

-"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer," he said apologetically, turning his head slightly towards her.

Temari sighed, watching his broad back. Well, they are so damn romantic and passionate that they pee with presence of each other without embarrassment. Sexy as hell.

Anger grew inside her. At him, for what she imagined that _could happen_ in his office in the Hokage Tower or in some other place. Anger at stories about his father that she had never heard before. And at all those passionate nights that have never been. And for the fact that she cares about him so much! And that's why she felt this emptiness inside right now.

-"What's for dinner?" he asked, as he had been asking for almost eleven years.

-"Onigiri, pork and salad," she replied automatically, not even thinking about what she was saying.

-"I'll eat soon," he said, zipped up his fly and pulling off his jacket. He threw it on the floor, on the pile of her clothes.

She smelled his scent in the air, which had so far acted on her as an aphrodisiac. Warm and masculine, a bit musky, a bit forestry, some smell of old volumes from the archive. She closed her eyes to focus on the sense of smell. It was her favorite fragrance. The smell of _the home_. She wonder how many women consider this fragrance attractive? She could feel the tears rising again under her eyelids, and some lump stuck in her throat. She resisted sighing deeply to the viscera.

-"Are you relaxing?" he asked, looking at her briefly, then at the empty glass, as he pulled the necklace from his neck. He narrowed his eyes.

-"Yes, I wanted to... a relaxing session" - she said, telling herself that all terrible things happened only in her imagination. She stared at his broad back. She dipped deeper into the tub.

-"Did you see my razor somewhere?" he asked, searching the locker next to the mirror. - "It was here yesterday, and now...?"

-"Shikadai done some pranks in the bathroom today..." - she sighed. When she remembered the mess their son had made, she decided she didn't want to go back to that loud, flickering memory. Her head ached badly enough. - "Check in the drawer."

-"I got it!" - he said, lifting the razor high, that she could see it. But in the mirror he was watching the state of the last shaving wound on his cheek. - "So what did Shikadai done in the bathroom?"

Temari rolled her eyes. They begin their usual conversation about what further fascinating event in the life of an adolescent son were missed by the working father. While his naked and sad wife lies in the bathtub. Near. At his fingertips. And the baby is sleeping in a room upstairs. Nothing would be heard if...

The stranger thing is that so far, it didn't bother her at all. She didn't notice that it was weird. She loved to be a mother and wife, maybe that's why she subconsciously chose not to notice?

She looked at the man at the mirror and compared him with a young man she had never been jealous of. His loyalty was certain. But then her own world wasn't about home, about clan and shopping. And sporadic outings with friends on the coffie & gossip. Then she occupied the position that her husband was currently assigneted to. She was more confident _then_.

Eleven years ago, she hooked up with a briliant, sensitive, clever boy who was hardly a _life of the party_. He always wore a uniform, walked his hands in his pockets. A turtleneck sweater, a black color, suggested a mysterious introvert. And now? The roles seem to have reversed.

She watched as Shikamaru shave his cheeks, mustache and neck, leaving only a goatee on his pointed chin. He looked attractive. She was looking at his short-sleeved overalls and a wide V-neckline. Now, eleven years later, everyone can see his collarbone and quite a bit of chest. Where is this introvert in turtleneck? He isn't the world's most tallest man, not much taller than she is. But he was beautifully built, emanating self-confidence and peace. Wide chest, narrow hips, strong and muscled, but still slender limbs. In addition, this bright coat, eh... She chose it. She herself persuaded her husband to change his military uniform to a more representative and stylish set. The cream coat was extravagant, with a high collar and a clan symbol. She scanned his figure and felt something in the esophagus again. She looked at the ceiling to stop the tears that danced on her eyelashes.

Her husband was so damn hot!

This awareness hurts. It was not difficult to imagine that she wasn't the only woman who came to such a conclusions. But she is the only woman who, after eleven years of marriage, can lie naked beside him and not move him at all.

-"Temari?"

-"What?" - she asked, again splashing water in her face to hide her tears.

-"Tell me about Shikadai" - he asked, raising his head high and in a long motion collecting a strip of foam from his neck.

-"He got the idea to clean his NEW shuriken set in a detergent that changes the color of the metal. Of course he didn't even tell me about his plans and a terrible mess came out in the end."

Shikamaru chuckled, his head still high. With each collected strip of foam, he was tidying up the razor on the edge of the sink.

-"And they changed the color?"

-"Now they are drying on a towel on the porch. We'll see tomorrow morning."

-"Huge mess?"

-"Don't even ask."

He chuckled softly again, and she felt as this sound warming her heart.

-"What for?" - Shikamaru asked, leaning over the sink and rinsing the razor under running water. - "You know, colored shurikens?"

-"Ask Uzumaki" - Temari shrugged. -"These ideas came out from under his roof."

Shika washed his face, wiped it with a towel.

-"Tomorrow I'll be back late. I'm leaving for a mission in two days," - he said. -"I'll have dinner, take my clothes for a change and go back to work. I have several more reports to read."

Her heart sank. Against her will, she saw his naked body intertwined with another woman's naked body. In his office in the Tower. She knew it was stupid. That she falls into obsession: her husband really works in his office! Only work hard! Nothing more! But fear made her feel like she was losing him forever, at this very moment.

But still! It was after midnight, and he came home only now. What did he do before? With who? And now he just shaved and announced he was leaving! Isn't that strange?

-"Shika!" - in the act of some desperation, she reached hand out to him. The water was splashing.

Shikamaru finally looked at her. Straight at her, for the first time this evening. A little surprised by the trembling sound of her voice and her nervous expression. He reflexively checked in his mind if he had done anything that would piss her off. It looked like he was innocent, so he waited...

-"Sup?"

Temari felt devastated by the fact that he didn't come to her. That he didn't take her outstretched hand! She felt as if he had just confirmed all her dark guesses. As if she had already lost him. Her head hurt so much, and damn _sake_ didn't work anesthetically. She was still in this painful reality. At the same time she was scolding herself: that what she is doing herself right now is stupid! That she should believe in their marriage, just as Karui believes in Chouji.

-"Shika..." she waved her fingers lightly.

He approached to the bathtub. She felt a huge relief. He took her hand - but he didn't laced his fingers together with her. He didn't hold her like his beloved one, but just like... a other human being. He waited intrigued.

She hoped that when her husband came to her everything would happen by itself. That he would know what she needed, just lake that, without words. That he would finally see her naked body and terror in her eyes. But he didn't saw it. And she didn't see in his eyes what had once made her feel special. And desirable. She felt disappointed...

With every second of silence, the irritation increased in the man:

-"Temari, I really have to go," he said in the tone that they both used to Shikada when he was grumpy and disturbing. - "Talk about what's going on."

Disregarded and angry Temari dragged her husband into the water. If it have to be a drama, let it be a drama in full format. The wave splashed over the edge of the tub. And Shikamaru's bare feet hung limply over the floor.

-"Fuck!" he hissed, rubbing his eyes. - "Are you crazy?"

Now or never - she said. She grabbed his clothes and pulled him to herself. She kissed him, but he didn't return the kiss, he broke free.

-"Temari! What are you doing?" - he drawled. He frowned, measuring his wife with an irritated look.

-"I want to make love" - she said, quietly but definitely.

Shikamaru's look lost its intensity. He was surprised. As if he only now noticed that his wife is naked. And that she is woman. He blinked several times. He moved away from her to have a full picture. He looked at her naked breasts, arms, stomach and looked back at her face. She had such a swollen, tired eyes. He bit his jaw firmly. He keeps being silent. As if he calculated all the possibilities. Temari was torn. With his silence, regret and anger rose in her. She wanted to scream and cry at the same time.

-"What a pain in the ass" - he sighed, taking her hands off his blouse. - "I cann't now."

She missed the tender note with which he uttered the last sentence, because she was shocked by the reddening insulting: "WHAT A PAIN IN THE ASS"? This is the answer you say to a naked, ready, loving wife when she wants to have sex with her husband!? She wanted to send him with tornado all the way to Suna! What a... what for ...!

She was hurt, angry, sad. In this mix of feelings, she drew him back to her. Oh, let him kiss her and assure her that - despite these eleven years - everything is fine in their relationship. Let him only give her warmth, solid confidence. Let him remind her what it's like to be his love.

-"Troublesome woman, no!" - he said, breaking up, and another wave of water splashed on the floor. - "I need to go to the Hokage Tower, read the reports and devise a strategy! In three hours I send the team on a mission!" - he explained, trying to be patient, although he was very angry. - "It's about people's lives! I am responsible for their existence!"

Shikamaru rose from the bathtub with the last words. The water level dropped inside the tube, but small waterfall flooded the bathroom.

Nara didn't even pull off wet clothes. Silently cursing, he left the bathroom.

Temari hid her face in hands. And she burst into tears.

* * *

To Be Continued..

* * *

 **If you reached up here, please leave a review. Let me know what you liked and what you didn't like in my story, please. It motivates me to write.**

 **Thank you for your time.**


	2. Day II: The other one? Part I Sunset

**Dear reader:**

 **Thank you for your review and support! That mean so much to me!**

 **1** \- I hope you see how much I like all the characters I write about. And that I write about them in such a way that you feel my sympathy for them. If you think that I didn't give one of characters justice: let me know.

 **2** \- I try not to use perfixes or Japanese phrases, when I can translate the meaning of these expressions into English so that it is understandable to the reader. But I don't think there is a non-awkward English word for "dattebayo", right? If there is something besides "belive it" - let me know!

 **3** \- this chapter in the original had over 16,000 words, so I decided to split it into two shorter ones. I'll put the next part on the profile as soon as I translate it. I'll be grateful for any comment. **My thanks to everyone who commented on the previous chapter, thanks also to everyone who read it.** I will respond to your comments as soon as I finish translating my work!

 **4** \- The presented story is the result of my own reflections on cultural differences and problems related to acclimatization in another country as a person from abroad. I focused on the theme of marital cheating because the Japanese view on this subject is completely different than European one.

 **5** - **I do not own Naruto or Boruto.** They belong to Kishimoto & the crew.

* * *

\- "What do you got?" - Boruto Uzumaki asked, sliding his back against the wall to the ground. He put a lollipop into his mouth to keep his hands free, then ripped apart his own packet of cards.

\- "Limited Edition, 6th Hokage" - said Shikadai, scooting closer to the vending machine to make room for a friend. When he sat down comfortably young Nara sighed. Relaxed, he watched the clouds, lazily moving with the light of the setting sun. The boy was playing with a stick of his own lolli. He clicked softly with his tongue.

-"What do you guys got?" Inojin asked. He and Mitsuki left the store and stood in front of their friends leaning against the wall. Their long shadows lay on the street.

-"6th Hokage and Shino Aburame" - Boruto sighed, taking the lollipop out of his mouth. Raspberry ball shone in the last lights of this next, sunny day of this year's spring. - "And you?"

\- "Also Shino-sensei" - said Inojin while opening the can of an apple drink, and with the other hand, hiding the card in his pocket.

\- "Luck has left you" - Mitsuki strangely said, as always with a disturbing smile wandering at the corners of his lips. The light reflecting from the shop window mirrored in his naturally yellow eyes with a vivid-pink flare. Creepy.

Boruto felt uncomfortable. He looked away. Sometimes he just felt embarrassed by Mitsuki's comments. Looked around. His attention attracted Shikadai's fingers - most of them were covered with colorful band-aids (including one in tiny stars and hearts). This picture was also not pleasant for his eyes. Boy winced. He felt a bit guilty for not warning his friend that protective gloves must be worn before using the detergent to change the color of the metal. But anyone could forget about this in his place, right? Yesterday everyone in the class asked Boruto for powder, but he shared the last capsule with his closest friend ... He wanted to be a loyal budy. But it ended in badly way... Today morning Shikadai had small, purulent wounds in most places where fingers are bent.

Boruto, obsessed with remorse, turned in the opposite direction, towards the crowded track, which far, far away coincided with other streets on the square in front of the Hokage Tower. They sat at the corner of one of the blocks. Boruto noticed a figure walking on a crowded street. The woman in black went down the inclined street with an energetic step - very characteristic, distinguishing her from the crowd.

\- "Shikadai, is not there your mom?"

Shikadai jumped up hearing this question. The boy looked around the street nervously, simultaneously pressing his hands under his armpits. In order to that they wouldn't bring unnesesary attention up. He has already received the lecture, but as he knows his mother, the sight of his injured fingers can call up a late fuse to her. He quickly noticed a woman walking away from them. He moved the lollipop inside his mouth with his tongue.

-"Yup" - he hissed, frowning.

-"Are you afraid, Shikadai?" asked innocently, genuinely curious Mitsuki.

-"What going on?" - Inojin asked, noting that the face of the young Nara had changed.

-"She took tessen" - he noted surprised, narrowed his eyes, noticing from this distance only the tip of the mother's powerful weapon bouncing at every step."And she dressed the clothes she wore when we traveled on foot to Suna before the railroad was opened."

-"Well, so what?" - Boruto was surprised by their comments, hiding another image of Shino to the pocket and biting raspberry sweetness.

-"This clothing is comfortable to fight, Boruto..."

-"She's heading towards the Hokage Tower ..." - Inojin's eyes widened wide. He combined all the dots. Both of them, with Shikada, looked at Boruto. - "Boruto, she's going to your dad!"

-"She will _probably_ talk to him about these shurikens-coloring capsules! You're screw, Boruto!" Shikadai was horrified. "This troublesome woman, when she gets pissed off, is truly terrifying. Even my father is always getting bossed around by her..."

-"I will be in trouble couse your wounded hands?" - Boruto panicked. - "But ..., but-, eh, but my father _IS_ Hokage, she will not threats the Hokage!"

-"I do not know... Dad says she used to be the most cruel kunoichi among shinobi's world..." - young Nara stood up on his feed nervously. He took a lollipop out of his mouth. It looked like he lost appetite.

Suddenly before his eyes, he saw a memory: as during theirs visits at his uncles, hi mother keep boss them around and shoots then down. They gonna do everything she told them to do. Starting with washing dishes, ending to carrying heavy sacks with soil to pots that Sand Brothers were kept on the top floor of a family home. And speaking of no one else but Kazekage himself and his closest adviser, bodyguard and leader of the Counter-Terrorism Division himself, too. I guess you can assume then that Lady Nara has a low sense of respect towards authorities.

-"Did you talk to your mother about what happened to Shikadai?" Inojin asked.

-"When!?" - the young Uzumaki squeaked keenly, he also jumped to his feet. - "I found out about thins at this morning, since then I haven't been home yet!"

-"And your mother knows about detergent at all?"

-"Eeeee ..." - Boruto felt very, very unpleasant. An icy-feeling chills ran down his back.

\- "Are you afraid, Boruto?" Mitsuki asked pleasantly, pulling all disgusted eyes of his friends.

-"Quick, let's go to your home, at least let your mother may be takes our side!"

* * *

There were far too many people in the messy Hokage's office, at least at this late hour. Some elements were permanent: like the pyramids of empty ramen packaging or the usual pilles of document which content concerned more sensitive matters and missions. Even the fabulous view of the purple-yellow sky over the Village Hidden in Leaves was a typical element of this work place.

An exception to the natural state of things was a team of employees from the Administration Department who explained millions of minor inaccuracies in reports, they collected Seventh's signatures on many, many collations, comparisons, tables and other documents. Extra desks were added in the office room, to make it easier for them to perform their duties. Some of them showed irregularities in the proceedings during the mission or during interrogations in connection with which, so it was necessary to draw the consequences against the chunins and jounins. The budget was also analyzed. In other words, Konoha was preparing for a meeting summarizing the whole year of Allied Shinobi Force cooperation.

The results of their inventory Konoha leader will be able to present almost two weeks earlier - without the uncomfortable details that perhaps Hokaga and his Advisors can straighten until Allied Force meeting - at the upcoming Kage Summit.

And many internal problems - which sink them, like a flood pouring out of reports - the Seventh will have to present the village council as soon as possible. Which in itself was not the most pleasant situation and was in itself _troublesome_.

To make matters worse, there was an noisy crowd of Shikamaru's kids in the room. Mirai and her team members moved here and there at a large table. They haven't been on a mission with Theirs sensei for a long time, which is why they were now bursting with excitement and tormented him by thousands of detailed questions. They volunteered to segregate the documentation that will be later verified by the administrative department. For each read report from category D, C and to Shikamaru's misfortune, B also, he had at least three questions: one from each of the teenagers. They created an additional problem. Unfortunately. The sad truth was that in Hokage office the help was needed anyway for an annual report on payment and securities settlement systems in Konoha Gakure, but now Shikamaru wished he hadn't agreed to this so called _help_.

He hardly slept last night, and stress and clamor didn't help his concentration. And when he was not focused, he made mistakes...

When there was a knock at the door, the buzzing of over a dozen voices subsided only for a moment. A few employees exchanged glances, a few looked at the Hokage, then returned to rustling with scrolls, moving cartons full of reports and exchanging comments about the classification of archives. Visitor didn't enter without invitation, and no one but Hokage - very tired and bored Hokage - and Advisor did feel responsible for granting permission to enter.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru with a bit of hope, a bit of desperation. It's hard being him, too. There were three administration-nins at his desk, each with some other, freshly discovered, serious problem. The easier ones they were left for later.

The Advisor suppressed a sigh. His pen quietly rattled on the table. He rose from the table - intended for political meetings, and now being a makeshift work place for five people. He came to the door with his hands in pockets. Shika wanted to talk to the visitor in the corridor, but he collided with him in the door frame. This person, and especially at this time of day, hasn't been expect here. Astonished, Shikamaru blocked the entrance to the office with his body.

-"Did something happen?"

-"I have a question for Naruto, move." announced Ino dryly.

She was not angry, rather tired. Like everyone here. So Shikamaru didn't resist when she pushed him away slightly and walked over to the Hokage desk. Her long skirt attracted the gaze of most people in the room. There were sharp contrasts between shadows and soft spring sunlight in the folds of the material. The violet color assumed an interesting saturation in orange-pink light.

-"Do you have any news from Sai?" she asked quietly, crossing her arms over her chest.

-"Eee? Didn't he supposed to come back in a few days? "- Naruto leaned deeply over his desk, while checking the computer's calendar for making sure if he don't mess something up again, and when he thought about it, his face was taken by a fox-like grimace.

-"Yes, but is there any difficulty?" - Ino was so calm and it was so pleasant to look at her, that it was hard to be surprised by a group of stressed, sleepy employees of the Administration Department who stopped their work to observe a woman. - "Did you get any messages from him?"

-"Well, not yet ..."

-"He should finish missions and be on his way home." She sighed.

-"Ino," Shikamaru whispered gently, coming close to his female-friend, standing right behind her. He noticed that she smelled nice: a fresh breeze and sweet flowers. - "Do you have reason to suspect that something could prevent the success of the mission?"

-"What? Oh, Shika." - sighed, flipping her beautiful long hair aside when she turned back to face him. - "No. I just need him here as soon as possible."

-"Did something happen?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. He saw how in the background, behind the blue-eyed woman, in response to tone of his own voice Naruto immediately straightened up in the chair, ready in any case, any time to gives Ino with every help she need.

-"Nothing can be done" - she said with a calm smile, reassuring the situation and both men. - "Only Sai can remedy this."

-"If you need any help, I can ..." - Shikamaru had a strange feeling that the case with Ino came up here concerns the family problem. He was worried that maybe Ino needed men help in a case involving... a child or a house, for example. The Ymanaka's house was old, and Ino had extensive knowledge in many areas, but with such trivial problems as patching the leaking roof she knew absolutely nothing. Admittedly, he was not sure if Sai knew anything about it, but he supposed it was never a problem for the Yamanakas. If Ino's husband couldn't do something - he read a lot about it and learned to do it from scratches. But he was not in the Village now. Shika felt responsible for Ino. After all she was one of his troublesome women, a member of the immediate family.

-"You!?" she suddenly snarled, and there was not a trace of this subtle, elegant woman who had entered the room few minutes ago. He watched this throughout whole his life, but the transition to the overbearing kunoichi was still surprising: "I have to talk to you about another thing!" She glared at him so that he felt shivers down his spine. - "Come with me, Shikamaru!"

She headed to the door without waiting for his answer. She knew that the men would follow her - if on missions he was the leader, in civilian she took over the leadership. Before Ino left, she turned around another time and the orange light shone in her beautiful hair. She leaned over the silhouette of Shikamaru and waved her hand to other classmate. She said with a friendly tone:

-"Thank you, Naruto! Sorry to interrupted your work. Let me know if Sai sends a bird, please!"

But Naruto just waved his hands desperately, while watching as his Advisor - and at the same time the only moral support in this unequal battle with the Administration Department - comes out of the office right behind the blonde-beauty.

"Shika, don't leave me alone! Shika, come back, please!"

* * *

Ino went out to the terrace at the top of the Hokage Tower. Each her step was springy and long. Her hips and hair swayed in the opposite amplitude. The long skirt was slightly fluttering in the wind creating the illusion of an ethereal, spectre and laxity figure. An illusion, because woe to anyone who judges Ino solely on the basis of her appearance. She is a lethal kunoichi. And an excellent medic.

She went straight to the edge of the roof, firmly grabbed the railing and bent slightly forward - as she often did when she was a teenager. She was in strong emotions. Either nervous or happy. Shikamaru knew the language of her body pretty well. He didn't hurry, taking his time while climbing up the stairs. Then he slowly stepped out of the stairwell of the building onto a spacious, flat terrace at the top. For the first time in long hours he inhaled cold, but fresh and moist spring air. He felt like he was getting an oxygen injection. Felt dizzy.

-"Did you complete the squad for a mission that left the village today in the early hours? Or maybe I'm wrong?"

Ino asked, watching the panorama of the Village. Her voice was low and indicated that she was trying to control her anger. The man was silent. He frowned, waiting for the events to unfold. He didn't have to look at her taut arms and neck to feel the tension. All the women in his life had a habit to quickly get to the very bottom of the matter. Usually by raising their voices.

-"Shika, you fool, what are you playing at ?!" - she asked, turning to him, and the veil of soft, shining hair shimmered with gold against the purple and lilac clouds.

He was silent. He didn't understand what exactly Ino keep yapping about. He suspected that it had something to do with one of the jounins, which he assigned to execution of the A-rank mission outside of the Land of Fire. His last name was Yamanaka and he was recommended for this particular mission by Santa Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino. In the selection process he chose several names, as always, which according to the data in the files and skills would be beneficial for the success of the mission. Shikamaru had no reason to not to trust the recommendation of experienced jounins, but Ino's reaction was alarming. How much should he feel worried depended on the correct interpretation of who he is talking to right now. He didn't know if Ino, who stands before him at this moment is Ino-friend or Ino-leader of the Yamanaka clan. Or maybe Ino-second commander of Inteligence Division. Ino-medic-nin?

-"Do not interfere in my competences!" - she said dryly.

Okay, so definitely not Ino-friend. She is making a fuss about her clanssman and / or subordinate. Or pacient.

-"For now, you are interfering in my competence," - he said sighing and putting his hands into his pocket. - "Ino, I always send the most suitable team on a mission after a precisely detailed analysis of useful skills."

Ino smiled crookedly, crossing her arms over her chest.

-"How much precisely detailed is that analysis? - she laughed.

Shikamaru opened his eyes wider understanding that he probably overlooked something obvious. He felt a strange pain in his muscles. Stress. He once again analyzed all Takeru Yamanaki skills in his mind, the number of completed missions and their rank, specializations, including secret clan technique and additional professional experience in the field of cryptology. No, he did everything right. He had to do it right, damn it. He thoroughly read the reports, even though he was so tired at night. He drank so much coffee ... Maybe he _did_ something overlooked becouse fatigue?

\- "Do you have reason to suspect that something could prevent the success of the mission?" he asked, feeling unkindly. For the second time in this hour he asked her this question.

\- "Takeru is now the cause of my own problem" - beauty was trying to be patient. - "I called a clan meeting where he was supposed to be a key guest, but at the time you sent him to the other side of the world on a mission that will take a long time!"

-"He didn't report this to me."

-"Of course he did not report about this," she snorted. - "It's convenient for him to wait the biggest storm in another country, by infiltrating a terrorist group."

Shikamaru couldn't stop a smile crawling over his lips. Ino prepared for this conversation. She asked him questions only for him to admit to his mistakes. _Mistakes_ in her opinion.

-"Did Takeru report anything to you?" she asked, irritated by Shikamaru's amused face.

-"No. Nothing but typical information, as you know, he once got involved in the fight against shinobi from the Country of Grasses, he knew their methods."

-"Didn' he suggest tactics or his teammates to assignments for this mission?"

The Hokage Adviser bit his jaw harder. He was beginning to have serious concerns. If his jounin undertook a difficult, dangerous mission just to escape some problems within the clan, it did not bode well for the success of the mission. The more so because at the moment the head of the Yamanaka clan revealed a lack of confidence in her own man.

\- "Ino, tell me what should I know?"

\- "Only that that smelly shit hit the fan. " - her lips squeezed into a narrow line. - "And you made a terrible mess for me that I need to clean up." She took a deep breath, turning back to the settlement bathed in orange and pink. "But what is important for your message is that you sent a married man and his lover on a mission."

Shikamaru felt that pain in his stomach drop as he tensely waited of Ino's next words. He didn't even know when the pain became so strong. In this work, he was used to stress, so he involuntarily got used to feeling different physical symptoms. He felt relief. If the problem was only in the fact that two people from the four-person squad were lovers, he had nothing to worry about. Couples often jointly participated in missions. He himself participated in the missions with Temari many times before Shikadai was born. They knew each other very well, were able to predict their behavior in different situations, so in the fight they were almost as good as his original Ino-Shika-Cho team.

Temari, damn ... he's been pushing away thoughts of his own woman all day. A vivid recollection imprinted on his brain by events of last night, it made him feel cringe. Yeah, shame on him, but realy that coudn't be helped right now - he repided in mind a _cliche,_ the cultural formula meaning a polite "no" in the Land of Fire. Shika pressed hands harder into his pockets. Guilt or any similar emotion disturb in the extremly responsible job of his. There is not the time for such a kind of deliberation. Even Ino - who is known for hers loud and impulseive attitude - was hundred percent proffesional right now.

Shikamaru getting back to current situation. He thought about the various options and threats associated with the mission that had a briefing today. Essentially, the body-related relationship of the two jounins worked in favor of this very delicate mission. Two jounins will be convincing in their game, as a couple can penetrate the ranks of the enemy more easily and at the same time have an excuse for frequent disappearance from the field of view to send a report to Hokage. It can be play surprisingly well...

-"And what are you grinning about, you idiot!" furious Ino shouted, and then Shikamaru's eyes closed tight and he winced.

And yet she exploded, anyway. A common feature of all his women - they explode. Very loudly usualy. What a drag...

* * *

-"Finally!" - Karui was pleased.

She shifted away in a long, dark-purple seat carefully enough not to put her legs out from under the warm Kotatsu. She wanted to share a view with her friend. In front of her stretched the image on faces carved in stone bathed in the golden and pink light of the setting sun.

-"Have you waited long?" - Temari asked, unfastening the tessen from her back.

-"Where were you been?" - asked Karui, drinking a sip of wine from a ceramic vessel. She was already slightly drunk and very, but very stuffed with delicacies served on the table. Through the decorative window of the restaurant came the long, orange stripes of light that softly danced on her face. - "I don't like latecomers."

-"Sorry," - she said, smiling apologetically. Lady Nara took off her sandals calmly. - "I trained with members of my clan for a long time. I lost count of time."

Temari felt that every muscle in her body creaked with pain. And it delighted her. She loved to be exhausted by physical effort. After such training, all the problems seemed distant and easy to solve. She had a different perspective. Before she slipped under the kotatsubuton, she pulled off her gloves and brushed the yukata from the dust as much as she could. It was still full of spring mud on her clothing.

-"Nice place" - she said looking around premises of restaurant.

-"And I didn't tell you that you'll not find a better guide to local delicates than Akimichi?"- Karui asked by rising her brow, she leaned over her full plate.

Temari just smiled in response and reached for the set of dishes waiting for her. She was so hungry! The entire table was filled with food, so her hunger was satisfied without any restraint.

-"You look much better than yesterday," said Karui.

-"Because I feel better than yesterday. It must have been this spring air... Too much oxygen, it hit my head."

-"Keep that shit for someone else. Just talk..." - Karui laughed. She knew perfectly well why she's meeting a friend from a sworn clan. - "Come on, tell me."

-"There is nothing to tell"- the blonde sighed, trying to pose on dark-purple seat so that she can look at Karui, but to avoid stripes of orange sunlight. They hurt her eyes...

-"Temari..." - Lady Akimichi sighed, exasperated, she spinning a ceramic pot in her hand. The wine swirled inside.

-"You pissed me off yesterday," she snarled, finally speaking honestly.

Karui smiled, she felt that she didn't have to add how she herself was pissed off by the sight of such a weak and insecure Temari yesterday. She just waited for the former Sunan to swallow a piece of raw fish and take the interrupted conversation: "I know everything you said you said for good intentions, but ..." she sighed, chewed and swallowed another piece of fish, lifting the bowl under her chin. - "Look, my husband comes back home mostly very late at night. And... when he returns earlier, then he tries to fulfill his father's role first and foremost."

Karui wondered what she just heard in the context of what she had explained to her friend yesterday. She understood by what Temari was hurting, and how she pissed her off. She felt sorry but also understood that other mature woman learned the intentions given her previously by Karui.

-"So you don't spend time together anymore?" - she asked, resting her cheek on her palm, and her elbow on the table.

-"No, we spend, just..." - she sighed and stopped in half motion with a grilled piece of meat between chopsticks. - "Shikamaru is a great father and our marriage works well. We are very happy and create a safe home that I have always dreamed about. Thats for your record."

Karui nodded. She shared the same dream, and its implementation was the most precious thing for her. Chouji was a wonderful husband and father to their daughter, she felt safe and loved beside him. And she was needed by them. Finally, she had a family, and it was much more numerous and evolved as she had ever dreamed of. In fact, a such a huge number of family-relationships that were associated with a marriage to Chouji sometimes overwhelmed her. She had to care for her bond with parents-in-law, with leaders of the allied clans, with clan's council, with village's council and with a great number of closest and secund cousins. Sometimes she had to sacrifice some of those bonds so that her tiny family cell would stay sane and in healthy relation. And most often, it was assumed that the Ino-Shika-Cho members would show understanding for her choice: unfortunately, this was not the rule. She fought so many times with Ino couse of that... eh.

Karui, however, returned to the restaurant and Temari, whose face was marked by brightly-colored strips of light:

-"But you suspect he _could_ have a lover ...?"

Lady Nara watched a piece of meat for a moment. She was silent. Her straight back and shoulders curled slightly, and a shallow, vertical wrinkle deepened between her eyebrows. She seemed older than she was, as if she aged a few years in a second. She opened her mouth several times, as if she wanted to say something, but she could neither get out her voice nor look at her friend in the face.

Temari felt lump in her throat. She was afraid to say what she felt, because it seemed to her that she should not only just to talk about it, but also to feel everything she felt now. It's just that yesterday she said a few things too much in the presence of Karui. She wondered if there was anything wrong with talking about her fears and problems? _No... I do not think so ... Of course not! Temari, why these doubts!_ \- she rebuked herself.

She suddenly wanted here Ino instead of Karui. With Ino, it was easier for her to show her own emotional, soft side. Karui was too similar in character to Temari herself. With the presence of Ino it was also easier to admit to fear ... While being next to Karui, she rather felt embarrassed by showing this side of her being.

Then she realized that she was subconsciously looking for an excuse to not to talk about _the problem_ that suffocated her since yesterday. She sabotages herself because she still feels deeply insecure. It's not who she's going to talk about it: yes, when they talk about serious and difficult problems Karui isn't a subtle and sensitive Ino, but she is still a friend who cares and wants to hear. Temari shook her head as if she wanted to shake off all lies, and the bright rays of the setting sun slipped through her dark-golden hair. Yesterday, she regained her sight after some years of being blind. It's good thing... She smiled sadly and said with the same harsh honesty that her friend gave her yesterday.

-"Karui, don't take it offense, but Shikamaru is more handsome than Chouji in some kind of... standard ways of being handsome guy. I think that many women find him attractive. Especially since he is a Hokage Advisor, in addition he travels a lot. He is famous in all the Five Great Lands by his work at Allied Force."

Karui burst into laugher. She understood about what conventions and pop culture, fashion raving Lady Nara and all of which were ridiculous to her. For someone who is watching them from the side hers Chouji could be just a fat-bones-too-nice-guy. For her he is Price Charming, because she looked at him from the perspective of a carring and loving woman, for whom the large Konoha-nin had fulfilled all the craziest dreams. As if she lived in a fairy tale!

-"I learned about this one cultural difference yesterday and I had doubts." - Temari continued, when former kumonin suppressed laughter - "At first I heard a rumor about my husband's father, later you rationally explained to me that this country was created for cheaters and that's why I had such stupid thoughts."

-"What rumor have you heard?"

-"Quite stupid and not important. There is no point in repeating it. Shikamaru is not Shikaku." - She rolled her eyes. - "Yesterday the information took me by surprise. But today I am an old, hard myself. Do not worry about me Karui!"

-"I do not know, Temari, is it wise to call your own feelings stupid and not important? Don't deny what you fears because it's like cowardice!" - Karui said, pointing at Temari with her finger with the hand in which she was holding a ceramic pot with alcohol. The liquid was churning inside.

-"I'm not chicken!" - she frowned and donned the marinated radish and a slice of meat into her mouth. She chewed briskly.

-"But something aroused your doubts, right?"

Temari sighed, a little annoyed at the fact that Karui looked through her so well. AGAIN! But she was also grateful to her wisdom and good intentions.

-"For some time our intimacy is..."

-"Boring?" - suggested Karui. - "I always thought you had a very vivid imagination, Temari." - she smiled lewdly. - "There is always a lot of tension between you two."

-"Karui!" - she growled, looking from side to side to make sure nobody heard it.

When both women exchanged glances, their eyes widened for a moment. Lady Akimichi was ashamed of what she said so freely and so loudly, so she covered her mouth with her hand. And suddenly both of them were aware that first of all no one heard what they were talking about and that they are adults and it is quite normal that they can talk about sex. Then they laughed.

Karui moved her hand from her mouth to her temple. So helpless! It's so idiotic! Another cultural difference to which they got used to for years - no one speaks so openly about intimate matters in Konoha Gakure. But in their both homelands there is a different approach to discussing sex in public with bunch of women. In Kumo equality in these matters is even greater than in the Suna. The initial awkwardness changes into encouragement and familiarization with the topic.

Temari sighed with relief, suddenly reminding herself that the matter of sexuality in a relationship is a topic on which she can not quite comfortably talk to any citizen of Konoha, even with Ino. Meanwhile, Karui is a child of culture in which you talks about sex freely from an early age! And she will not see anything wrong or inappropriate, if Temari - who has a pretty messy past and this is not the reason for her native culture, only her family-crap - will open up to difficult topics for her. Actually, it's very pleasant to be able to talk to someone about sex...

-"It's not that _it's boring_ ," - Temari sighed, lowering her voice. - "The point is that no action takes place. Nothing. Like, you know... _nothing at all_."

-"Is he really soooo lazy?" - Karui put her hand on her cheek again and leaned towards Temari.

-"Shikamaru has not been lazy for a long time," she was irritated at these old accusations.

-"Chouji also says so, but Ino doesn't agree, she says he is a lazy bum."

-"Do you trust his old team mates or his wife, smart-ass?" - Temari smirked and narrowed her eyes. - "He's almost always working or babysiting Naruto. Eh..."

-"It's scary that this little blond shit make it to be Hokage, don't you think?"

-"I owe so much to Naruto..." - she sighed, seriously. She plunged in her head. She remembered, just like many times before she had remembered the turning point of her life in which she had lost her father, but she recovered her brother ... Ever since Naruto appeared in the life of her family, she discovered almost every day from scratch what goodness, care and security is.

Karui cocked her head.

-"Do you owe him your husband?" - Red-head asked half jokingly, not quite understanding where is this gratitude about which her friend speaks.

Lady Nara laughed at the absurdity of the question.

-"A little bit," - she admitted with a smile, her bangs slightly shaking in the bright sunlight. - "if it was not for Naruto, I would never have had a chance to get to close to this crybaby. Although it annoys me now, I have to share him it with Hokage."

-"Shikamaru himself would be a pretty good Hokage."

-"It's not his way," said Temari with soft smile. Although she was convinced that Shikamaru wouldn't be pleased with such a turn of events, it was nice to hear such words from Karui. She liked to listen to the praise of her family members. Temari liked to think that their success was a bit of her merit.

-"...and your?" - Karui whispered, with a suspicious grin.

-"What?" - she blinked several times. She felt again that she did not understand what her friend was asking.

-"You have experience in being the daughter of a leader, adviser to the leader, sister of the leader, bodyguard of the leader. Would you like to be the wife of a leader? Or a leader in person?"

-"You've drunk too much," - Temari laughed and waved her hand. - "I wanted to be Shikamaru's wife. If politics were concerned, I would never leave Suna. I chose the whisper of heart. I just _wanted him_. I _loved_ him."

She spoke with an open hand in the place where her heart was beating. She hadn't heard this question for a very long time. Once, when she was a diplomat and a professionally active soldier-jounin, then many different powerful people often asked her why they she didn't accept the Kazekage title. Of course, they had different intentions: some of them evidently wanted to sow the lust of power in Temari and they planned to quarrel with each other Sand Sibling, others were simply curious about her answers, others ones were looking for confirmation of the many theories: was the Gaara election sabotage on the Suna Gakure councils? Why have such exquisite jounins as Temari and Kankuro been omitted in the elections?

But now, when Karui asked the question too well known from olden times, Temari responded straight from her heart, with calmness and self-confidence. Because she never wanted power. She always cared only for the good of her family members. Gara was then the only right choice - because of his own good. And because of the good of their common three-person family.

And in this final choice she made, it was all about a sensitive boy - _crybaby_ \- who grew into a caring man.

-"You know, I believe that behind every great man stand a great woman" - after a while, said Karui, finally drinking alcohol from a clay pot. - "Or whatever they said. Well, that's what they say in my homeland."

-"Each of our husbands is a great man. Chouji even literally."

-"We, Akimichis, are proud that we are _great_. Nice try, but try harder to piss me off, baby!" - She winked to Temari with some humor.

-"You know, you have a bit of right." - Temari curled her shoulders again. -"During the war, I understood that I want to be only with him. Precisely because he was a valuable leader. And my friend. Maybe a bit in a completely different and unexpected fragile way, he fit in with the pattern of the most important men in my life. Gaara, father, Kankuro ... He had the feathurs of a leader, but presented in a completely different, exotic configuration. And maybe that's why I so much... " - She blushed at the very reminder of how strong and burning emotions Shikamaru would arouse inside her then. - "That's why I did everything to be with him..."

Karui nodded, plunged into her own memories. She knew this feeling as well.

-"Besides," Temari added in a loud, blunt voice, "I decided that his genes are worth passing on."

-"And now you're not doing anything to let these genes pass ..." Karui pointed out.

The return to the merits of the conversation froze Temari, again she hunched her shoulders a little over the table.

-"Quieter!" she hissed.

-"Okay, okay" - Karui nodded, pouring wine into a pot. - "But about what are you having butt-pain?"

-"That is that..." - Temari closed her eyes, feeling that what she was talking about was too painful to bear. - "I don't think he likes me anymore. Physically."

-"Nonsense. He sees only you, that's what Chouji says."

-"Do you think that too?"

-"Me?" - she was surprised. "No, I don't meet your husband as often as you and Chouji."

-"But you see us when we're together. Last time at Inojin's birthday, for example?" - asked Temari feeling stupid. She didn't know why it seemed so important to her, what Karui could see looking at Nara's spouses.

-"I can tell you are a family," - she sighed. - "This is another cultural difference: the citizens of this village are not talking about their spouses. At all! It's freaking me out! They don't show in public sensitivity or affection. It sometimes annoys me that I can not hold Chouji by the hand or hug him. At least children are allowed to show affection in public! I love to cuddle with my husband and daughter and I do it often, although my parents-in-law and members of the clan will scold me later!" - Karui complained thinking about what is most troubling her in the culture of the Hidden Leaf Village, but the tense face of Temari did not allow her to think too far. - "Temari, honestly Shikamau is the most restrained and sensible member of Ino-Shika-Cho. He is a man of his culture, so in my presence he never allowed himself to break the social convention. In my presence, he is usually very tired and very silent, or very concentrated and talking a lot about politics. The greater emotions I saw with him were when he argued with Ino or with you. But I also remember how kindly he talks to you, how his little gestures are subtle towards you. And Chouji says that his friend loves you, so I have no reason to not believe his words."

Pensive Temari hung her head. She knew that the sense of Karui's comment should be sad. But she did not feel it. She felt strangely swollen. As if the bruises on her heart were already so swollen that more terrible words could not hurt her anymore. She felt a little dizzy.

-"Karui, you know, he works with many young women every day. Which are professionally active. Our romantic story began at work ..." - she explained quietly. Her hearth running crazy. - "I thought it might be a stimulus for him. You know, a strong woman, a politician. Traveler or so. Lots of talks, a lot of hard work together, sometimes even until later night's hours. And then both of them experience this pleasant feeling of satisfaction, because the mission was successful ... Do you know how it brings people closer?"

Temari put the bowl and chopsticks down on the table, she felt that now she wouldn't swallow anything more. She didn't want Karui to touch on the subject of all those awfull _fear_ that was associated with her _old_ , imperfect body, which _might_ no longer attract her husband. Because he can have younger, much more willing, much more firm, and hot instead of hers, on his own desk in a dark office... She shuddered. Those ridiculous thoughts again! Damn it! Lady Nara felt ashamed, because she even considered that her marriage could be based not on similar characters and common purposes, but solely on a sexual attraction. That was so wrong... Temari intertwined her fingers tightly and whispered:

-" I don't know why I didn't think about it earlier? So many years ... We hardly see each other now. You know, intimatly. We just fall asleep next to each other ... Yesterday I wanted to ..."- and then she lost her breath. And her eyes shone with tears.

-"And?" - asked Lady Akimichi, watching the desperate face of a friend.

-"Never mind!" - she hissed, blocking the wave of memories: what could have happened in the office of the Hokage Tower, and what _happened_ in the bathroom of her own home... No, no, no! Stop it!

Temari again felt the headache, considering that the silence that fallen between them was equally eloquent and full of content that she actually could as well name what she feels in words. Karui knitted brows while tast the fear, uncertainty, feelings of rejection and betrayal.

-"Did you talk to him about it?" - her golden eyes expressed compassion.

-"I didn't have the time to do it. Yesterday came out ... bad, so..." - she spread her arms. - "He warned me that we will not see each other for a few days, so probably another opportunity to talk will be in a few days, eh..."

-"Do you suspect that he really has someone else?" - Karui felt terribly asking this question.

Temari shrugged. She couldn't even look Lady Akimichi straight in the eyes. She didn't want to say aloud "I do not know". She was terrified even by the thought of it. Suche turns of events would be terrible and cruel! No, no, no! And what is she gonna do if...? Forgive him? Just yesterday she was convinced that it's better when all the cheating comes to light, and when it shows what kind of skunks that cheaters are, and now ...? Could she live the way Yoshino supposedly lived? Temari loved Shikamaru so much! Sofucking much...! Is it normal that you feel so poisoned when you love someone? After eleven years of marriage?

-"Do you want to go back to service?" - Asked Karui after a while, as if she looking for some kind of solution.

-"I don't know. I thought about it yesterday and ... I don't know," - her breath broke off. She felt the burning in her eyes and gathered inside her will to not cry. - "On the one hand, I want and need _this_ , being kunoichi gives me strength and self-confidence, and on the other hand... We have wonderfull times of peace. And I fulfill my biggest dream: I have a family. And I still keep in shape while practicing with the members of the clan and with Shikadai. Until now, I was perfectly fine with things as them are."

-"Maybe you've grown out of your dream and need another one?"

-"Do you feel that you have grown out of your dream?"- she asked surprised, tilted her head.

-"Me!? Ha!" - she laughed, then drank some alcohol from a ceramic pot, and the rays of the sunset shimmered on its banks. - "I haven't yet learned how to cook all of Chouji's favorite dishes. For me, every day is a new challenge. The Akimichi clan has a long and rich history, apparently the Nara clan doesn't pose any new challenges for you."

Temari rolled her eyes.

-"And you and Chouji, you... intimate often...?"

-"As often as we can. For him, an aphrodisiac is every meal I prepare for him and Chocho. Usually, he gets to me in the evenings. I like it the most. It's normal and completely healthy that adult people have sex! We spend a lot of time together, we often go for walks around the clan's grounds..."

-"Okay, stop it! Are you pissing me off when you tells me about your healthy relationship with your own husband!" - shouted Temari and she immediately added with a smile - "But I'm glad that you are happy together."

Karui smiled in a way that hardly anyone had the privilege of seeing. She was so delicate, feminine and happy.

-"Why don't you drinking with me?"

-"I don't want to, I felt bad after drinking alcohol yesterday..."

-"Maybe if you return to this service ..." - Karui sighed. - "I've now thought about one thing, Temari. Will it not interfere with your past? Surely there will be those who recognize that you are a Suna spy. Politically, this situation will not help Naruto or your brother. Neither your husband."

-"I was thinking about it too, so maybe it would be best to become a liaison representing Konoha? Same as it used to be?"

-"Well, there is a railway built, but ..." - Lady Akimishi doubtfully raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips - "...such a job will cause you to be absent from home even for a few days. You know about what I'm talking, yeah? Shikamaru _only_ comes back late, but he still comes back _everyday_ , right?

Temari winced. The idea of returning to proffesional duty was fresh and she had not yet decided how she felt about it, but suddenly she remembered reason why she original had left her service. She crossed her arms and felt anger, as usual - it was her first reaction to fear.

-"How the hell Ino manages everything to do?" - she blurted out annoyed and her hair glowed in the last, intensely-orange sunlight of the day. She had to direct her anger somewhere. - "She is the leader of the clan, runs a hospital for children, helps in her mother's floweshop and is a consultant in the Intelligence Department! She is just as much a mother as we are!"

-"Ino is just Ino" - Karui rolled her eyes. She mostly Fights with Ino for small and big things. Initially, their acquaintance was difficult, mainly due to the common past of Karui and Team Seven, but over the years they have learned to like each other and not get angry about the differences in looking at matters. - "Ino has Sai, I remind you Temari. After all, she isn't a perfect ideal."

\- "Yeah, she has Sai, who is also a professionally active shinobi!" - yapped Temari, her eyes were shining.

Now Karui straightened up and winced.

-"Fuck!" - she swore loudly. - "Indeed! Maybe it makes things easier for her to read everything in others minds?"

-"It's not easier for her, Karui," sighed Temari, who had much better and more warm relations with Ino. She realized that she focused her anger on a person who was not really connected with her problem at all. She could felt how her own anger cooling down right now. - "She often faces big problems, but still she keeps make it..."

Karui thought about it. She was beginning to have doubts whether her lifestyle was... too lazy? She scolded herself: she was supposed to uplift an abnormally _weak_ Nara girl! She will not be a support for her if she sinks into her own grief! Which led her to a certain idea...

-"Look, maybe you should directly talk to her about Shikamaru? Of course if you don't want to wait for him to return home for a few days. You know, I admit it with reluctance, but she knows our husbands on a completely basic level, other than we will be able to get to know them ever. She knows all the advantages, disadvantages, secrets. The whole truth. If anything has ever happened, Ino knows about it..."

Temari's heart paused for a moment.

Well, Karui was right...

* * *

End of part I

To Be Continued..

* * *

 **If you reached up here, please leave a review. Let me know what you liked and what you didn't like in my story, please. It motivates me to write.**

 **Thank you for your time.**


	3. Day II: The other one? Part II Nightfall

**Dear reader:**

 **Thank you for your review and support! That mean so much to me!**

 **1** \- I hope you see how much I like all the characters I write about. And that I write about them in such a way that you feel my sympathy for them. If you think that I didn't give one of characters justice: let me know.

 **2** \- The presented story is the result of my own reflections on cultural differences and problems related to acclimatization in another country as a person from abroad. I focused on the theme of marital cheating because the Japanese view on this subject is completely different than European one.

 **3** - **I do not own Naruto or Boruto.** They belong to Kishimoto & the crew.

 **4** \- This part of chapter II after translation has over 12 200 words. WOW.

* * *

Lady Nara knocked quietly on the door located on the side wall of the old house in the central district of the Village. The Yamanak's flower shop was closed for several hours, but the lights on the first floor indicated that the family was at home.

-„Do you think she's _here_?" asked Karui vaguely. She put one hand on her hip and held the other near her mouth, holding a toothpick. She dugging in the space between her teeth after their generous supper.

-„Where else is she supposed to be?" Temari asked, turning to face her red-head friend, and neon lights illuminating her Sunan features. The sun has long since gone, and the sky has been saturated with the color of deep indigo.

-"Well, in an old house in Yamanaka's estate, where we all gather at official inter-clan meetings?"

-"No, Karui" - Temari smiled gently – „They use that house when they expect a large number of guests. But the whole family lives here. For Inojin is closer to school from here. For Sai is closer to work, and it's easer for Ino's mother to make her job done in case if her grandson needed a babysiter, and for both Sai and Ino it's more convenient place to live, they could help with customer service downstairs without any special effort."

-„It got late, ah..." - Karui commented, feeling uncomfortable that she had no idea how befriended family lives. In fact, it never interested her, and this knowledge was of no use to her, but only emphasized how _correct_ the relationship between her and Ino were. – „This Spring's sun is terribly illusive. I don't know when daytime escaped."

Suddenly, the door opened and a tiny Inojin stood in heir frame. Brightness of light poured a dazzling glow on the pavement and two women standing outside in the cool, spring air.

-„Hi...?" he asked strangly, boy suddenly stiffened in fright. His horrified eyes ran nervously from one aunt to another.

-„Is your mother at home?" - Karui asked giving the boy a very disapproval look. She had a strange feeling that his behavior mean that he is up to something. Simply, innocent children don't _stiff_ at the sight of the _most beloved_ aunts.

-„No...?"

-„She's not here?" - Temari's shoulders stooped a little bit. She felt the back ache with all it might, after today's intense workout, but the lack of Ino's presence proved to be another burden on her tired shoulders - an emotional one. She would have preferred to dispel all her guesses and products of her imagination, but without Ino... well, the harder way to discover the truth was right at arm's length. It would be a confrontation with her husband who, like a typical Konoha-nin, can not stand a direct confrontation. This will be difficult task...

-"What did this _trace of doubt_ in your voice mean, ha?"- asked Karui, approaching so close to Inojin, that he felt how tall she was compared to him and how dangerous her piercing gaze was. – „You are _not sure_ if your mother is at home right now?"

-"Mom is dealing with clan's matters all day," - replied Inojin, glancing warily not at Karui, but at Temari's tessen, protruding over one of her shoulder. –„I still didn't saw her, since I came back from school. All evening I'm alone with my granny! And my mother didn't know anything either! I also didn't know anything about it! I swear! It's Boruto's fault! But he didn't want it to happen too! It was an accident! It was not on purpose!"

-„E?" - Temari tilted her head. She had heard similar words from her own child at least once a day, but there was no panic in them like in Inojin's speech.

-„What are you talking about, son?" - Karui inquired, while frowning. She had no idea what the boy was raving about, but her maternal instinct didn't disappoint her. Evidently, the boy had something naughty on his conscience.

-„Inojin, who are you talking to?" - then the matriarch of the Yamanaka's family appeared in the door. She had a beautiful shawl painted in floral patterns, which were elegantly draped on her shoulders. At first her face expressed polite interest, but when she recognized Lady Nara and Lady Akimichi it transformed into a cynical mask.

-„Haven't you messed up thing enough?" - she directed her question to Temari.

-„Me?" - Temari made sure if her ears didn't deceive her. She blinked several times.

-„My daughter has plenty of problems on her mind caused by your family" - Lady Yamanaka explained, putting her hands on the shoulders of her grandson and pushing him inside of the house. – „Do not add her another one, please. Not now." - sighed tired, while struggling with Inojin, who didn't want to leave the adults alone. He wanted to hear everything. - "It would have been better if you had behaved decently and asked no more questions. It is hopeless that you can not adapt to our rules. Lady Nara, Lady Akimichi, wait at least for my son-in-law's return before you come here again. But please, be discreet. Ino is very busy, there is no time in her daily schedule to explain these aweful slanders."

Temari and Karui were so confused by the words they heard, that they didn't react when an elderly woman said goodbye to them and closed the door of her home. For a moment both woman stood in silence on the pavement covered in neon light.

-„I feel sooo confused!" - Karui said at least. – „What was she talking about? Did she just roasted us? Why was Inojin acting so bizarre?"

-„I don't have the slightest idea..." - Temari massaged her temples with her fingertips, and again she felt a headache. – „But maybe at this point it is just as she claims? Maybe now Ino is too busy to deal with the preposterous theories about marital infidelity invented by the scared mind of housewife?"

-„Yamanakas." - summarized Karui, including in this sentence all her aversion to excessive emotionality, terrible misunderstanding of other people intensions (taking into account that if they _wanted to_ , they could understand everything by reading others minds!) and just beeing drama queens. Just _Yamanakas_.

* * *

-„Shikamaru...!" - complained Naruto. He stood under the Hokage Tower with arms folded behind his head. He was dressed only in an orange blouse and black pants. He didn't have any weapon, not even a forhead protector with the Konoha emblem. He was ready for a city break in a civilian way with friends. He even told to all the shinobi from the administration department to go home, even though they tortured him all day long. Tonight he couldn't and didn't even want to work until late hours.

This evening was supposed to be different from all the evenings in recent months. Unfortunately, all those efford could have been in vain, because Shikamaru disappeared a few hours ago and didn't come back yet... The Orange Hokage's Shadow Clones searched the whole building, but unfortunately he could not even feel the Advisor's chakra. In the end, he decided to wait in front of the main entrance, on the square of the Hokage Tower. He barely leaned against the wall, and then a familiar figure emerged from one of the crowded streets. Lord Nara was slowly moving toward the Tower, but hearing the voice of Naruto - in this unexpected place, _outside the office_ \- he wkae up from his lazy letharg.

-„What? Is it the time already?" - Shikamaru was surprised. He didn't expect to find Naruto outside the office. He quickly came to the conclusion what it means. When did it get so late? He looked around the street, until this moment he was absorbed in thought. It was only now when he realized that the sun had already set and the sky had turned dark purple and indigo. The square in front of the Tower was illuminated by neon signs, billboards and lanterns. – „Do we have to go now? What time is it? How long was I was gone?"

-„You left me alone, Shikamaru! With all of them! I had to work! Alone! They tormented me! Until late hours! Long-lasting tortures! I have no idea what I signed!" - Naruto complained. – „Where have you been?"

-„With Ino" - he simply replied. At the moment he haven't got the energy to explain to Naruto, that as Hokage he should read what he was signing. Besides, Naruto knew it very well.

Naruto blinked reminding himself of Ino's visit to his office a few hours ago.

-„Yeah, Ino! What troubled her?"- Blondie became interested, while squeezing his eyeslids and pouting lips. – „Are you sure everything is alright? You know, Shikamaru, dattebayo, I know Ino is your teammate but Sai is my teammate, so don't be offended, but if Ino needs any help, you know, dattebayo, I should know about it too...!"

-„Naruto, stop it!" - Shika sighed, closing his eyes and raising his eyebrows high. – „Trust me, you don't wanna deal with Ino's temper. Leve it to me."

-„But still..." - muttered Naruto, and Shika smiled sympathetically.

-„Just let _me_ know as soon as Sai sand you any news."

Naruto's face was comically distorted, as if he couldn't fully understand what he was hearing right away, and Shikamaru didn't want his friend to think about it too much.

-„Let's go. Guys are waiting for us, right?"

-„Yeah..." - Naruto groaned and rubbed his swollen, beautiful, blue eyes. – „It is a pity that Sasuke and Sai can not join us today…"

-"Yeah ..." Lord Nara sighed. He knew that there was no point explaining to a straightforward and open-minded Naruto that it could be even better for them that Sasuke and Sai couldn't join them... They went together to the favorite restaurant of the former team 10.

* * *

Temari snorted again. Very long hours of worrying about where the hell is her son paid off her with the big load of humor.

The second sunny day of spring in Konoha almost ended. When the last hour before midnight began, she stared losing her mind. She calmed herself down with the thought that the boy probably - as _teenagers_ in general - just forgotten about whole wordl while having fun with his friends and lost count of time. On the other hand, Shikadai is still a small child! The age of recklessness doesn't justify his actions. If he has to enter adulthood, then he'll gonna do it only with all its perks and flaws. His mother will take care about it. And it'll take a long time before she can treat him like an adult conversation partner. For now, her role as a parent is to properly tune the son's moral compass.

The longer he was gone, the more she tried not to panic, though anger and fear swelled inside her, overwhelming her with a dark, unpleasant feeling. She was just worried. It made her angry that she had to wait alone at home. And what was the most annoying was the fact that she has to wait alone for two of them: her husband and son. e. Actually, she didn't want to even think about her husband this time, or about those damn ' _eleven years_ ', or why he would come back today as late as he had warned her. Then, the most important to her was her little boy.

She keeps repeating to herself that her child is equipped with the necessary knowledge about how to deal with a crisis situation and that he knows perfectly well how to call for help. Still, such words as "kidnapping", "assault", "beating up", "detention", "cut wounds", "torture" came to her mind... eh. Logic dictated that, indeed, all these options are probable, but in this pacefull new era which she built with her own hands, such a probability is extremely low...

When the clock showed half an hour before midnight, she was alarmed. She considered using Shadow Clone Technique to send her own patrol around the village, or just to inform Shikamaru about situation. Well, entering with him - _in such a way_ \- in any conversation was rather undesirable. At the moment she preferred to avoid him, mainly because she was a bit ashamed of having lost trust in him, in addition she was angry at him for how he treated her the other day, but when it came to their son, all marital discords was irrelevant.

Eventually, before midninght, the problem solved itself in unexpectedly... _hilarious_ way.

-"Will you tell dad?" - Shikadai grumbled, sitting across the kitchen table.

Temari lifted her gaze from his hand to look into her son's distressed green eyes. Again she leaned over the kitchen table with a cotton swab soaked with alcohol in her hand and again she giggled. Sending her toothy grin to her boy. For some time, she were changing the dirty dressings on Shikadaia's wounds caused by the detergent so that the infection would not get into it.

The offended boy narrowed his eyes.

-"You don't have to tell him, mom," - he insisted, with the fingers of his right hand he nibbling at all the dirty, old band-aids that mom had pulled off him earlier, and which now lay on the side of the table.

-"You have scary mommy, don't ya?" - she asked quite cheerfully, pleased with her undivided regin of the scarecrow for naughty children.

-"It all was so silly..." said Shikadai and sighed painfully.

-"Indeed, it was, Shikadai" - Temari sighed and tapped to the tip of her son's childish nose with her finger coated with medical gloves made of vinyl-fabric. Those were the gloves that, if he used it two days ago, his hands wouldn't be in such a terrible state now.

Shikadai opened his eyes wide and laughed loudly. The tension has dropped out of both of them. It was a good evening. They had quite a lot of time to cuddle before they went to their beds.

* * *

-„Did something goes wrong between you and Temari?" - Chouji asked, while positioning himself more comfortable on the pillows at the end of the cubicle.

Shikamaru opened his eyes wider. He had the impression that this seemingly innocent question was related to yesterday's incident in the bathroom. First, because Chouji asked a question: and if any of their mutual friends had an idea of what might happen at Shikamaru's life, he first asked Chouji. Mainly because Shikamaru used to be at work and practically didn't have time for socializing. And if Chouji repeatng him a question about his private life, that meant he didn't consider it as a gossip.

Secondly, this exact question pierce Shikamaru like a shard of glass. Because the answer was "no, between him and Tamari was not _all right_." He had a very unpleasant feeling that their conversation in the bathroom yesterday was somehow more devastating than if they were shouting at each other. He saw her sad face in front of his eyes and felt how its getting a little dry at his mouth. He didn't want to think about it. He was poor in assessing his own feelings. In fact, he didn't like to feel anything, because feelings disturbed the rational view of the whole situation. That's why women were so troublesome. He sighed, knowing that this excuse was no longer valid. He is too old to avoid... what is beyond him, or whats is _irrational_.

Objectively speaking, he took the most important decisions of his life under the influence of emotions - and in spite of reason, which dictated completely different scenarios.

He looked at Chouji, considering the third reason why this question didn't suit him at all. If Chouji knows that Shikamaru has escaped his own horny wife, that means someone told him. And only Temari could have told him about it. However - with all her crazy temper - Temari would never do it, because she values their privacy too much. She can be discreet. Unless it was something extraordinarily serious, and he had the impression that it all was about something serious...

-"You know something." - he said, pouring wine into a ceramic pot. There is no way he will be able to bear this conversation soberly.

Chouji frowned. He reached over to the ceramic bowl of snacks. He had time to grab a bite to eat, he just knew something was going on. He patiently watched as his friend drank the contents of a pot in one gulp and immediately poured the vessel full. He sensed that the atmosphere between them had changed, so he got up from the comfortable position on the pillows, to lean over the table towards Shikamaru and create the illusion of privacy in the noisy restaurant.

-"To tell the truth, I don't know anything," - he replied. – „Just asking..."

-„A-ha"- bitterly acknowledged Nara. He bitten the inside of the cheek, looking stubbornly at the bottom of a clay pot.

Shikamaru was convinced that Chouji didn't tell him everything, but he would say what he knew. Kindest heart, that's all Chouji. Sometimes Chouji was more sensitive to the moods of his closest relatives than Ino. However, Shika was quite relieved that his friend didn't know that he had left behind his wife to cooling lonely inside the bathtub after she had demanded him to fulfill his husband's duty. How embarrassing. When was he last time intimate with her? So long ago that he couldn't remember... And to tell the truth he didn't want it. He did not miss sex as much as the opportunity to have a all-day-lazy-nap-time or to take his child on a trip to the forest. And that's why he felt ashamed.

-„Shika? If you don't feel like to talk..." - Chouji began, seeing how recently relaxed muscles of Shikamaru's jaw were tensed again.

-"Everything is fine," he said quickly. Too fast. So fast, that they both exchanged knowing glances in a old impulse: Nara, hoping that Chouji didn't hear this nervous note in his voice, Akimichi, to confirm that the ill-concealed fear would also be reflected on Shikamaru's face. A few heartbeats passed... and then annoyed Shikamaru hunched over the table, drinking wine from the pot in one swing, while Chouji's strong hand patted him comfortably on the back.

-„Anytime budy, anytime…"- whispered Chouji, and Shika sighed.

-"Temari is mad at me," he said. –„And I'm angry with her. I'm tired, I want to rest..." - and he sighed again, hiding his face in his hands, suddenly realizing that he was using another excuse again.

What did he really feel? He clenched his teeth, preparing for all the unpleasant things that would come over when he would free his head from blockage for feelings. He didn't like those whole _feeling_ thing so much! (He knew that this idea was childish, yeah, but still…) How life would be easier if all interpersonal relationships were based on reason!

So what did he feel, really? He felt guilty about the death of all the shinobi he sends daily for missions, but something went wrong and their fires burn out. He felt that he had no control over his life anymore, and that in this moment of his lifetime he carries more on his back than he can. Perhaps from the outside it looked good, maybe even beautiful, but inside he felt so... squeezed out of feelings... which is a paradox, because he has been effectively squeezing himself out of emotion for many years. In order to be a rational-thinker strategist, of course.

-„Are you feel overworked?" - he heard Chouji's voice, then felt his huge hand on his back.

-„I think so..." - he said, feeling a dull rim of sadness cling around his throat. The clay vessel was again filled to the brim with rice wine. – „Tell me, why did you ask?"

Chouji shrugged, sliding his pot on the table top next to the other one. Lord Akimichi gathered his thoughts while watching the transparent liquid poured by Shikamaru fill his clay vessel.

-„Did you notice anything?"- Nara asked seemingly trivial, but his heart sank. He could not look his friend's eyes.

Was it so obvious? He was afraid theat it was...

-„What? No, I haven't noticed, and that's why I feel like the worst pal in the world," he said apologetically, squinting hard in a bittersweet smile. – „Karui asked me today if I talked to you lately. She met Temari today and she had the impression that it was not good between you two."

Shikamaru opened his eyes wider again and dared to look at Chouji. Temari talked to Karui about what happened in the bathroom? Oh fuck! What did she said? He felt his face quickly turning pale. His friend's wife knows what kind of… _unmanly_ man he turn out to be! She shouldn't know about it. No one should know about it, and Temari should not experience it, but... He had to drink more, to get drunk. He felt how hard his heart was beating. He didn't like to experience as strong emotions as he does experience now. He preferred to drown them out. He can not stand this conversation beeing sober! He can not bear thinking about it soberly! He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

-„Can I have a one cigs?" – called Kiba, who sat with the rest of the guys closer to the bar and closer to the out of the cubicle.

The bustle at Yakini Kyu Q effectively covered quiet conversations, but Shikamaru, after all, felt uncomfortable being pulled out of the almost intimate space they had created with Chouji on pillows in the corner of the cubicle, against the wall. He leaned forward to help Kiba. The men was pulling out a cigarette:

-„What's up, guys?" - he asked. – „Why are you so scially isolated on the dark end of the table?"

-"What a drag," Shikamaru used his catchy phrase, a bit because he meant it _exactly_ , a bit of a way to downplay the question and not bring any attention by accident.

-"Are you sure you are all right, Shikamaru?" - asked a bit tipsy Naruto. He had swollen eyes and flushed cheeks.

-"Aaa! Look who's coming up here!" - Kiba stupidly smiled first, and just after his example stupid smile painted all over a bit embarrassed, but already very drunk Lee's face. Naruto didn't fully control his facial muscles: they expressed exaggerated surprise.

Two too young woman which were scantily clad sat at their table. Their uniforms indicated that they were employees of some Soapland or advertised some other place among this kind of industry, but they were definitely not the service of Yakini Kyu Q. One of them, a brunette with very long hair, with a very charming - _cute!_ \- gesture approached to Naruto. With a delighted and sonorous voice she squealed:

-"Nya, Lord Hokage!"

In response, Naruto gave a drunken, but very unhappy glare at the faces of his friends. Kiba spread his hands - he had nothing to do with it and was equally surprised, like Naruto himself, but unlike him, Kiba had a great time looking at the attractive bodies of cute little sisters ( _I'm JUST looking at them! It's not cheating!_ ). Lee was mumbling about the unsportsmanlike principles of aggressive marketing and the power of youth. Shino, who was probably the most sober of them all, in a hushed voice, tried to convince another young woman to look for another table, and she didn't seem to listen to him. She set her body in a very cute, but also suggestive pose in which she espoused all the qualities of her scantily clad body.

Well, she was working hard.

Shikamaru exchanged a knowing look with Chouji. Now he really needed to get drunk. He didn't want to participate in _it_ any longer while being sober...

* * *

Temari was turning deep fried chicken pieces in a tin pot. They had a beautiful thin crispy amber coating. They looked almost ready to be extracted and dried. The tasty smell dazed her, even the saliva had swelled in her mouth. She liked to cook so nicely for her beloved ones. She pulled out the first piece of chicken with chopsticks, drained it from oil and dipped it in a bowl of rice vinegar. She did it quickly, but thoroughly so that it would soak from every side. Perfectly! – pleased woman hummined melody that she heard on television.

-"Sister," Gaara said in a very calm, gentle tone. – „Did you saw Shikadai's hands?"

First, Temari carefully put the chicken down on one of the five bowls prepared on the kitchen counter, and then turned to her brother. She wiped her hands in the kitchen cloth. The man was standing at the wide kitchen table, with a knife in his hand. He wore her kitchen apron made of linen, and his hair - which had been smoothly combed for some time, with a parting, at the moment were in a slight mess. The kitchen was so hot and soaked...

-„Yes, I did." - she replied calmly. She was happy that her siblings were so close again. She missed their presence.

She smiled gently at him, and Gaara lightly - almost unnoticed - frowned. A shallow, vertical wrinkle appeared between his absent eyebrows. He didn't say a word, but this subtle change of mimicry speak in volumes about his doubts.

-"Don't worry," she reassured him gently. – „It's nothing serious. Children sometimes hurt themselves, it will be a lesson for him. Now he will remember that it is not allowed to play with chemicals, because it may hurt. He will survive this, brother."

She turned to pick up another piece of chicken from the hot oil. She dipped it in a bowl of vinegar. Clouds of steam rose over the counter. It smelled so delicious, yummy!

-"If you say so, sister," Gaara said after a moment.

Temari reached into the pot again, and a moment later she heard the sound of a knife falling rhythmically on the board. Knock, knock, knock. So Gaara accepted her words and returned to chopping cucumber and herbs. She smiled. Lady Nara liked spending time like this. She felt so peaceful, among the people she loves... She could hear the sound of a running water. Ah, Kankuro has gone to refresh himself after the long trip! They arrived so late at night... They must be tired. She hoped her more sassy brother wouldn't fall asleep in the bathtub. Such behavior would be in his style. At least _it was_ when he was a teenager.

-"I talked to him," her youngest brother said softly. She didn't have to turn around to know that he was smiling. It was heard in his voice. She felt warm in her heart. She knew who Gaara was talking about. No wonder, these two loved each other: her younger brother was still delighted every time he was meeting her little boy. – „He was afraid to come back home. He thought you would be mad at him."

-"I was angry yesterday," she said, while beeing focused on arranging the fourth piece of fried chicken in the fourth bowl. - "He has recived his lecture then, and he knew that no punishment would await for him at home today. I have been angry last night, especially when I had to dress his wounded hands right after he made a total mess in the bathroom. But, today, you can not do anything more or help him in other way" - she shrugged, aware that she was repeating a typical _cliche_ from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. - "Nothing can be done," was a polite response to many situations that relieved the interlocutor of responsibility for the problems you are talking about. – „I just hope he'll not make a mistake twice and next time he'll put the gloves on."

She wiped sweat from her forehead. The kitchen was terribly hot for the middle of the night. She put down her chopsticks and tried to let some fresh air in, but the sliding glass-widow get stuck. She struggled with all her strength with it. She couldn't open the window. And it was still so hot... It's just not normal for it to be so hot on a spring night.

-"However, it has already occurred that the boy was afraid to return home," said Gaara in his monotonous voice, but this time in his tone there was a hint of authority, which he used only when he represented the country, or when reprimanding a trio of his own children. – „Listen carefully, I think you are too _demanding_ kind of mother, sister."

Temari laughed softly. Gaara can be charming when he is worried, or when he dissolves the most delicate aspects of interpersonal relationships, so that each party would be the winner in the dispute. Rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand, she said to her brother, leaning over her shoulder:

-"Shikadai knows when I'm really pissed off. But he is still a child, Gaara. He and his friends were blowing up the whole situation, but I explained everything to Hinata. It was even funny!" - she laughed. - "You really have no reason to be worry, brother."

-"I think you are such a cold parent as our father were in our childhood," Gaara said dryly.

It hurt like a dagger stabbed in the back. Temari immediately let go of the window frame. Stunned woman turned toward the kitchen table. Her brother gave her harsh condemnation. Or maybe it is really like he said? Maybe she is such a cold and strict mother to Shikadaia that the boy is afraid of her? And what if he doesn't know how much he means to her? And how much she does love him? What if her son doesn't know that means a world to her !? Something squeezed her chest, and suddenly in the steamed room started getting cold.

-"You do not even hear him crying now," Gaara said reproachfully, crossing his arms over his chest. He was stern and angry. And dangerous.

Lady Nara tilted her head. She concentrated on the sense of hearing. She could only hear the shower in the bathroom. She didn't hear anyone's cry.

She frowned, didn't understand what was happening. Gaara isn't good at telling jokes or making pranks - this is Kankuro's area of ploting thing. So if Gaara says he hears that Shikadai is crying, it means that her child is crying. Only why doesn't she hear it? She was worried. She'll not let her own child cry in loneliness! She had already looked enought at another child who was crying alone, but then she couldn't help it. She was a child herself. And precisely because she was powerless then, now - when she has power and is an adult woman - she will not let any member of her family _to suffer_.

And that's why Gaara's words were so devastating... She felt guilty.

She still didn't hear anything...

Being worried, she left the kitchen quickly. She knew that she had to go upstairs, to her son's room, that she must explain everything to him, although she was sure that little Shikadai considered today's situation with the Uzumaki family as just as funny as she find it hilarious herself.

Late in the evening - so late that if a boy appeared at home alone at this scandalous hour, he would have a very serious conversation with his mom about responsibility and he would surely be grounded for good whole week - to the door of Nara's residence knocked Hinata Uzumaki. She brought two boys with her: Boruto and Shikadaia. And her cute litte daugher too.

Temari cleary remembered the embarrassment painted over her son's face, while Princess Hinata was apologizing to Lady Nara for her own _teenage_ unruly explorer of chemical substances and asking her for forgiveness and leniency. He saw with his own eyes how Temari was embarrassed and amazed not only by the words of Hinata Uzumaki, but also by her very, very deep bow. He heard his mother's laugh, when she listened to what the children were afraid of: that Temari was intended to beat the last breath out of Naruto, as a revenge for Shikadai's injured fingers.

He heard what kind of voice she use (not-too-serious) to threatened to her own child and to Boruto about that she would taking advantage of this idea of their, in case if they think about come up with another stupid, irresponsible kind of play whitch will bring more trouble to them than entertainment.

Well, Hinata also added a thing or two.

And as soon as Hinata and her children left, then Temari hugged hers _wonderfu_ l little teenager. And he let her do it: he didn't tried to get away, but he didn'ot return the cuddle either. He patiently endured all caresses and playful threats of his mother. She ruffed his spiky hair and keep asking such a teasing nasty question as "Do you have a pretty scary mommy, boy-o!? Do you?". He only murmmured "What a drag" while nuzzled his flushed face into her warm chest. Later, she changed his dirty dressings on his childish fingers, he was so cute (but she didn't told him about that)...

-"Temari of the Desert!" - Gaara shouted, grabbing her hand. He tugged at her forearm, and she slipped on the wooden floor of the corridor with a momentum, but regained her balance at the last moment before she fall.

She looked into the brother's eyes, widened in horror. He never touched her like that! He squeezed her forearm tightly. Her skin was burning. She didn't remember when she had seen him so terrified before. An there was dust everywhere.

-"Your son is crying!"

She wanted to tell him to let her go, becouse she need to checked at her son upstairs! She was going to explain to him that she can not hear anything, so she must go there as soon as possible! But suddenly she heard the baby's tearing cry. It was definitely an infant's cry. Noice come from the main room of the residence. The baby screamed loudly, with that kind of crying that could break the heart to pieces. She went into the room with Gaara, shoulder to shoulder, both dressed in uniforms, the gay flack-jacket of Suna. She felt the weight of her tessen on her back. Her back's muscles ached, but she knew she must be tough.

And at that precise moment, she was sure that it all was a bad dream...

She bit her teeth until they crunched. With all her strength, she tried to subdue all masive feelings that now swelled inside her. She felt her rapid pulse, felt like every muscle in her body was preparing for a impact. She had to calm down as quickly as possible. Because she just watched the bodies of the fallen Shinobis lying in her living room. And in the air visibility was poor, dust from the battlefield was everywhere. In the dark corners of the room lay the broken limbs of many soldiers, everything was spattered in the blood. War. She didn't want to go back there anymore. Never. So much despair! She felt an unbearable stomachache.

She looked at Gaara - he was standing with folded arms and with a huge gourd on his back. She didn't have to check, she just knew that she now wears a forehead protector with the Allied Force emblem... There was so much blood everywhere. So much death, so much coldness... and her beloved child was crying glaringly. She couldn't see him anywhere. She looked around the room seekking for a tiny newborn. Her heart was breaking when she heard this particular type of crying.

Once, when the tiny, newborn Shikadai had colic at night and cried in this terrible, painful way, she often cried along with him. Unfortunately, she could only help him in that way. She spent so many nights swaying her suffering son in her arms.

Where on earth is her baby now!?

Suddenly she saw on the porch a gracefull, delicate silhouette. The shadow of that figure was almost ethereal through the screen of parchment shouji. There was no blood, no dust, no death behind the sliding painted door. There was light on the porch. As if it was a different dimension, bright, good and free from pain. Temari couldn't recognize the person's face from such a distance, and through dusty air. Besides, how would she recognize any features via parchment? This person was standing outside the door, in a blinding light. Temari could with absolute certainly say only that the person who is on her porch is of the female. This mysterious woman stretched as if she had just woken up. It was as if she didn't belong to this world of war and despair. She moved softly, like in dance, hypnotically. Her slender legs, wide hips, and round breasts were eye-catching.

However Temari stood now with her brother in a dark corridor, dressed in war uniforms, and before them was about 6 meters thick, pollinated veil of air. And human bodies. She felt uncomfortable. There is no blood on the porch, only the brightness of the day. It was so symbolic. Temari would prefer to be there right now, but she would have to enter the room, go through...

She didn't want to do it, but at the same time she knew that she had to go in there. Why? Why is her little precious is crying in such a horrible place? Why are they, herself and Gaara, do alone in this terrible place, while they could be on the porch? And who carried her little son to the battlefield!?

Suddenly a man came over to the woman on the porch, and Temari's heart beat like crazy. It was crushng inside her chest with painfull speed, as if it was about to fall apart. She heard drums groaning and that noise plug hers ears. She felt that she couldn't breathe. That she wanted to run or scream, but she couldn't move, and her voice isn't coming out of her throat. She watched the silhouettes of two people rub against each other, how close they approached each other. How the bodies of lovers are finally intertwined... How the men - guy with her husband's goatee, with her husband's hairstyle, with her husband's anatomy! Oh, no, no, no! - explores the body of a strange woman. And the heartbreaking crying of Shikadaia-infant was still tearng her heart apart. The noice was so loud, boring into the brain! She could only hear her son's roar and the heavy pounding of her heart when her husband forced the woman to bend over. With a long, imperious, masculine movement, he pushed the top of woman's body down...

Temari wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She wanted to cry, she couldn't. She wanted to hurt them, to stop THIS - but she couldn't. She wanted to reach for the tessen, but she couldn't. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare, but she couldn't! She was paralyzed! She watched how her dear, caring, handsome husband take body of that strange woman from behind. How their shadows sway through the misty air of the post-war room. And Temari's hands and knees were trembling.

Temari woke up in her own bed, panting heavily. She was deaf. In her ears she only heard the drums of her own heart: boom, boom, boom, boom. She looked down at the rapidly rising chest: her yukata parted slightly, she saw her sweaty skin. Piercing chill shot through her backs and legs! Spring nights are still cool, they leave goose bumps on her cleavage. While beeing aspleep she fidgeted so much on the bed, that she threw off her sheets. That's why the chill penetrated her now. She covered herself with a quilt, curled up and tried to control herself. Boom, boom, boom, boom. Slowly she began to regain hearing: the tinnitus and her breathing echoed inside her ears. She focused her leaping look on the wall in the dark, shade-filled bedroom...

It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It really was just a dream...

Feeling relieved and irritated, she covered her eyes with her palm. It was just a dream. How pathetic she is... to dream about something like that. She sighed. What was that nightmare, anyway? Gaara and Kankuro are in Suna, the war has long been won, and all the fallen were buried. Her _ten-year-old_ son is now sleeping in his own bed - probably tomorrow he'll be embarrassed at breakfast, because today he provoked a group of children to stupid behavior. In addition, they draged Hinata Uzumaki in this silly _game_. And it's good that he'll be embarrassed, because all that he and Boruto had come up with today were ridiculous. And her husband... she turned away. She reached out, as if she expecting to touch something different from what she knew was waiting for her. She clenched her hands on the cold, smoothly lined quilt. Not used for two days.

He was gone again.

She shut hers eyes with all strength. No, she'll not even allow herself to feel guilty for blaming him for such horrible things! What she dreamed about was ridiculous. Yesterday - due to the fault of alcohol - she behaved unreasonably! Nothing like that has ever happened! It simply couldn't take place! Shikamaru works a lot because he is the brain of Konoha Gakure, while Naruto is heart of Village! She herself and Shika himself are happy parents of a charming little boy! They have a successful, happy relationship!

Why is she trying to convince herself that everything is all right?

But under those tightly pressed eyelids she first saw the patches of bright colors and then the picture of her own husband banging this mysterious figure of a woman. As if it was pure sex, just "blow off steam", as if there was no emotional involvement in it. Temari bit her pillow and howled. Damn it! She wanted to scream and shout to suppress her own thoughts, but she was afraid thet noices would wake up the child. This frustration will kill her! She must talk to Shikamaru about it! She must know what his attitude towards these cultural differences is! She must know the truth about her father-in-law! Or else she will go crazy! Her imagination will finish her!

Only one thing - does she really want to know the truth?

Yoshino was in such a relationship... This thought was still abstract. How did she bear it? Yoshino... Temari thought about mother-in-law: about her position, wisdom and stubborn character. She couldn't imagine her mother-in-law in such a situation... So what if it was just a malicious rumor? And what if Ino's mother said that only to make Temari detach herself from the problems of their own clan?

But if it was true, would Temari be able to _forgive_? Like Yoshino apparently forgiven for years?

Will she be able to turn the blind eye on the husband's cheating on her? And as soon as she thought about it, she got angry again, because it didn't realy happen! Her damn handsome husband loves her! He is faithful to her and works hard until very late hours at night! So what if he didn't make love to her yesterday? Her own behavior was embarrassing! She behaved as if she was weak, defeated, and she isn't weak or defeated. Nor desperate! Her name is Nara, and Naras are known for their tactical skills that she didn't get it quite right yesterday, though. Yesterday she was guided by sorrow, sadness, lack of confidence and alcohol. Next time she'll... Restrained this galloping stream of thoughts. She sighed looking at half the bed made almost two days ago.

When will it be next time? Next opportunity to...?

She had no strength to null a quiet voice that whispered " I just hope it's not too late." Eleven years. She caught her breath. Temari gasped. Her head ached again. She knew she would not fall asleep now, so she might as well go downstairs, make her a cup of tea and read a book. She got up from the bed and shivered. Spring nights were still very cold, and her body was still sweaty after nightmares. First she found socks - her feet freezing! Her toes felt like were turning into icicles. Then she put a warm robe over her shoulders and left the bedroom quietly. She didn't even bothered to turn on the lights, just in case, to prevent to wake up her son. There was enough stress for him today, let him rest at least.

Temari was going down the stairs tying her hair up into two ponytail. She preferred when they were tied, just like that. Her eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and the corridor illuminated by the moonlight thanks to which she clearly saw all shapes. She finished tying the secund one when a dark silhouette appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Intruder. Kunoichi froze. Suddenly all her senses were awake.

She didn't have _anything_ usefull with her. No equipment. No even one shuriken or kunaia. No hers tessen. She spread her feet wide on the stairs, bent her knees slightly. Temari could rely almost entirely on physical strength right now. She looked at the shadowy figure standing at the bottom of the stairs, which slightly balanced on his feet. It was definitely a man, about 60-70 kg of weight. Lady Nara decided that she will handle him.

Alternatively, she could use a bathrobe to create a gust of wind, a stimulus for her wind release. But one thing she knew for sure: this intruder will not come upstairs. Nobody touches _her son_. Over her dead body! She clenched her teeth firmly. Unless - suddenly it dawned on her - he may not act alone! Maybe right now his teammates are upstairs and her innocent baby is...

-"What happened?" - the intruder rasped quite indistinctly with her husband's voice.

All tension left her. She felt like an idiot. Temari hid her face in her hands. What's happening to her lately? She didn't feel his chakra, she didn't even think about it. Maybe she is getting older? Maybe she out the practice? Shikamaru was so much a guest in his own home that the simplest solution to this situation didn't occur to her.

-"What are you doing here?" - she hissed.

-"I lives here, woman?" - he stated in the form of an ironic question. The men was still standing at the bottom of the stairs. He strangely accented the words and his hair was down. Now Temari saw that he was holding the two ends of the dark towel which hung around his neck. So that means he was washing his head. She remembered that in her nightmares she could hear the sound of running water... Eh. Now everything becomes clear.

Temari sighed with relief, going down, and her husband probably understood that he had frightened her, because he laughed softly. He watched patiently as she walked down the stairs to him, arms crossed on her chest.

-"Why are you sneaking in your own home?"

-"To not to piss you off." - he said terribly proud of himself. It was not long before she saw that Shikamaru staggers to his feet, and when she was very close, he added: "Are you still mad at me? About yesterday?"

She felt his breath carry fumes of booze. She discovered another piece of the puzzle: he was drunk.

-"What time is it?" - she asked angry, unable to forget the words of Ino's mother _This old stag had no idea how to be discreet when he got drunk..._

-"I don't know. Late hour?" - Shika said, and his lips fell down upon his wife's neck with a completely unexpected, sweeping move. Temari had to support her body with hands against the wall. She felt the moisture of his saliva below her ear, and the long gesture changed into a very wet and intense caress. Shikamaru sucked her skin and even gnawed it lightly. She felt his fleshy, velvety tongue where the neck and shoulders were joined.

-"What are you doing?" - she hissed, then his whole drunk weight press down against her body and his arms embrace her tightly around the small of her back.

-"I am compensating you yesterday's evening," he mumbled, pressing her strongly to himself and leaning on her at the same time. She felt how them both stagger on the stairs. His hair was wet and his body was moist and hot. His usually calming, appetizing musky, slightly woody fragance was completely covered by the sharp stink of alcohol. And the smell of soap. - "Come upstairs. I'll take care about you."

-"You savage," she chuckled dyrly - "I have justified doubst who gonna take care about who..."

-"Don't spoil my entertainment..."

-"How much did you drunk? she asked", realizing that if she didn't push him away, they both would fall on the stairs. She caught him tightly by the belt and pushed him back slightly. She was pleased to see that he reacted like a dance, immediately weakening his bears' grip. As if reading her mind, he knew exactly what the purpose of her movement was. His pliabe body, soften by alkohol, was again standing at the bottom of the stairs.

-"Not much." - he murmured with difficulty saying the syllables, cupping her face with both hands and strained his wandering eyes. His dark irises brushed her face. - "Do you know how beautiful you are when you're mad?" - he was delighted. His eyes glittered when he spoke.

Surprised by those drunken compliment, Temari laughed. She felt the heat in her chest. Truth be told she didn't remember when she heard last compliment from him: whether if he was sober or drunk. He was quite charming when he is drunk as hell. It's a fact. He didn't drink _sake_ often. In fact, he hardly drunk anything at all, and even when he went with his friends he usually remained in sobriety in order to accompanied the drunk ones to their homes.

-"How much is _not much_?" - she asked, while droping anchor again: this time gently pulling him by the yukata belt, because his body was leaning back too much. She also became to loosing balance herself. She was afraid she would lose her balance and fall on her ass.

He was funny when he was so inert.

-"Probably as much as you drank yesterday," he murmured, smiling crookedly, his thumbs was running across her cheeks. It was dark, but she could see that he was very much affectionate by looking at her. She should feel bad for the scorching note, but instead felt a pleasant warmth.

-"How much?"

-"I do not know," he shrugged, as if it were irrelevant. - "First, a little with the guys, and later only a little with Chouji."

-" So you're completely _damn_ wasted," she said with a sneer, but somewhere deep inside Temari felt relieved. He was only with friends. She giggled. "Come, you have to drink as much water as you can. Maybe you will avoid a hangover tomorrow."

She grabbed his hand and tried to persuade him to turn to the kitchen, but his flexible body was still slipping past her hands.

-"No. I can not have a hangover. I have missions tomorrow."

-"If you don't drink water, you may not be able to take on the mission," she said slowly, rationally.

-"I am."

-"What are you?" she asked, not understanding what he was talkin about, but he only smiled stupidly when her full attention rested on him again.

The man completely forgot what he wanted to say. He just kissed her.

Temari again felt his insensitive body pressing against her with all his might. His lips and tounge ruthlessly imposing her caress, his grip on the back of her neck and... in fact, she didn't mind it. She missed it. Yes, true, not missed such a form of it, not in such quality: she would rather have him sober, more delicate and sensitive, but she didn't remember when was the last time when he kissed her with such passion...

There was something dirty in this situation. Dirty and dark.

But also exciting.

She missed sex so much. Temari didn't even think that such hunger was creeping inside her until yesterday. However, her body howled longing for this kind of intimacy. She felt his tongue and saliva almost all over her chin. His mouth and teeth crushed almost brutally against her flesh.

-"Are you still mad at me?" - he whispered at her mouth. Shikamaru hugged her with too much force, to consider it as pleasant caressfor hers taste.

He asked about it a second time, so she couldn't just dodge it. _He asked a second time, so it was important to him, so he had to think hard about you_ \- whispered a tiny voice of hope inside her head.

Yes. If she was to answer honestly the question: yes, she was still angry. But if she answered honestly now, he would ask "why." And then all this important conversation - extremely important! - she would carry with her drunk husband, who would probably remember less than half of it in the next day. Although maybe he would be more honest after alcohol and confess to her everything... Immediately she got angry again: _why do you still doubt him, Temari? He did not give you reasons!_

And then Temari concluded with horror that he gave it: he left home yesterday... He didn't tell his wife about his father, he rarely came home earlier, he making loved with her so... routinely. He was handsome. And he was a shinobi - keeping secrets is his job.

Instead of answering him with words, she kissed him lightly. She decided that this conversation must wait until tomorrow. Now she couldn't allow herself to get angry because it would be like kicking a man when he's down. What she could give him now is only to ensure that she loves him and that she really cares about him. Lady Nara didn't want to hurt hers Lord now, nor did she want to hurt herself any more.

She felt a pang of guilt as soon as her lips touched his, and Shikamaru smiled broadly in response, his teeth gleaming with happy grin. Such a child-like happy Shikamaru was a rare view. It's hard to kiss such a grinning guy. So Temari moved slightly to look at him - he was sweet. Expectively frivolous. As soon as he felt that his wife was moving away, he quickly deepened the slope toward her face, as a men desperately hungry for intimacy. He panted loudly looking for her lips. When their tongues reconnected again, he sighed delighted and hugg her with even more force. This time she lost her breath and ground under her feet.

-"Shika!" she hissed, trying to suppress laughter and irritation. She really didn't want to wake Shikadai.

-"Oh, sorry, sorry" - he whispered into her hair. Drunk Shikamaru put Temari down on the stairs, but eventually both lost their balance and collapsed down.

Reflex and Temari's sharpened senses enabled her to fall on the stairs almost silent. Only the first grip - the right hand on the fourth step from the bottom - rumbled hollow at home. Her other movements were almost like a whispers. She stiffened the limbs muscles so that her torso didn't touch the ground. As soon as she could, she set her body to cushion the fall of her clumsy husband. He dropped onto her taut stomach, but his knees unfortunately slammed against the ground.

-"... sorry..." - Shikamaru whispered painfully.

Temari froze. Shit, such a bad luck! She listening intently. Did Shikadai wake up? Were these sounds really as loud as it seemed? She should checked at him. Calm him down, to ensure he is safe - in case he wakes up. But at the top flooor it seemed to be quiet... Probably baby boy is still asleep. Maybe it just seems to hert, that they made noise? At night, all the sounds seem so noisy...

She became irritated when she felt her husband's mouth on her neck and his drunken and rough hand on her chest. She bit her lip as he clumsy bounced her breast, on his fingertips. Rubbing his thumb on her nipple.

-"Shika," she hissed, rejecting his hand.

-"Don't do this to me," he said, in a very sad tone. - "Don't treat me so cold, woman."

If only he was not drunk, she would laugh at him in the face! Hypocrite!

On the other hand, isn't she trying to get back at him rght now? Her mind feels wrong, while she decided to do whats she desperately misses. But her body needs it so much... From whom does she expect to satisfy her sexual needs, if not from her own husband? She felt that this thought was dirty too, bittersweet. _Expect_? Eh, it's sounds as if their marriage was a sort of deal... like... She thought about these traditional old-fashioned Konohas marriages that Ino talked about. Wasn't this scheme just functioning on such an exchange of goods? On playing roles in society?

Fuck it, she needed Shikamaru to make love to her now. She needed to stop thinking! She lacked love and closeness. But she also longed for sexual passion. She may not get the fullness of what she needs from her drunk husband: he will not be delicate, and the sexual act will not be sublime, but it can certainly give her a very intense fulfillment and closeness.

She could smell the liquor and shower soap. She stared at his shining lips, heard his breathe heavily. The excitement grew inside her...

So she kissed him. Hard, deep. Brutally. She sat her ass down on the stairs and pulled him on. And he answered her with the same type of involvement. Lord Nara was a bit clumsy, but he efficiently untied the belt of her bathrobe and yukata, then threw his own robe off his shoulders. She experienced his hands with fascination. They squeezed her everywhere, nibbed and kneaded her needy body hard and hurriedly. She smiled seeing the swallow of impatience as his hands twitched. His lips and teeth were biting her skin in the most delicate places. Temari allowed herself to do something that happened to her sporadically in situations of intense rapture: she scratched his chest, leaving her inflamed wounds. He gasped out agoged at her touch. Temari swallows and her fingers clench, digging into Shikamaru's ass.

She never loved with him in that way. She had the impression that she was doing it with him in this way, not because of passionate _love_ , but driven by a very strange mixture of frustration and anger. It seemed to her that now they were really chasing after the great need, with animal instinct crawling inside them. That it's ordinary, vulgar _fucking_...

There's a certain light connotation attached to the word "fucking". She thought about this woman from a dream, about that figure on the porch. Acting on impulse, she turned around on the stairs, leaned her uper body down, and sticked her ass up, pressing him into the crotch of her husband. She couldn't do _this_ by looking him straight in the eyes. She didn't feel that their hearts were now connected. And this position was primitivly exciting.

She was still devoured by the guilt, because she still has doubts about Shikamaru's loyalty, but at the same time Temari couldn't talk to him about what was going on in her minds! She was still alone! On the other hand, she felt ashamed, because at the moment she wanted to only use his body, because she needed sex so badly, just to "blow off steam"... And he needed it too, so anybody can probably say that this is a win-win situation, but what if she is just looking for an excuse? It all was so wrong and fucked up...

The saddest thing was that the ground for all the doubts she now had was her love for Shikamaru. Something that once was hers propulsion battery.

She felt his rough fingers unsteadily enter her violently. Then a long, throaty murmur came out of her husband's throat. Temari gasped (unfortunately loudly). She felt her walls gently stretched. Oh, how she missed those feeling! Oh, how much she needed it! She missed so much to be so desirable! Temari pressed hard on his hand, taking deeply his finger and causing another husband's throaty growl. Shikamaru pulled her hair, tilted her head back, which caused a wave of excitement. Woman felt his hot dick on her buttocks. She shuddered...

-"Mom?"- echoed the sleepy voice of Shikadai, and the door of his room creaked characteristically.

-"Oh, shit" - Shikamaru hissed, panting loudly.

-"Shit," Temari repeated, pushing her husband away from her and looking for her own robe on the floor in the dim light. He received a shove beacaus they were taking by suprice, knocking him off balance. She felt chill along her body. - "Go back to sleep, little fawn!"

She heard a clatter, so she turned around. She saw her naked, drunk husband trying to get to his feet. As soon as she tied her robe, she reached out to Shikamaru. Clumsily he got up, squatting, but then he stood up with a fluid movement, only a little leaning his weigh on her.

-"Shit," he cursed again in a whisper.

-"What's happening?" Shikadai asked, worried. They probably scared him. Shit, shit, shit! Temari felt guilty again. With a back of her hand she wiped her forehead. What an irresponsible parent she is! - "Mom?"

-"It's all right." - she said very loudly, in a hurry she helping to an equally stressed out man to tie his robe. She saw that he lost his erections. Well, their child's voice was like some smelling salts for both of them. She wanted her voice to be sure, but she could hear the sounds of panic within it, recognizable only to people who knew her very well. - "Go back to bed, son."

Shikadai did the exact opposite. Almost immediately they heard the rumble of his footsteps on the floorboards upstairs. His tiny, childish figure almost immediately appeared at the top of the stairs, and looking down alarmed. Temari stood in such a position to cover the nakedness of her husband, who was still improving the binding of the yukata belt.

-"Hi," Shikamaru said, suddenly almost sober due to stress. He stroked the small of his neck. And with his other hand he comfortedly patted Shikadai's mother on the shoulder. -"I'm sorry for waking you up. I fall down the stairs."

-"Dad!" the boy sighed joyfully and ran down. He held kunai in his hand.

Along the way, the boy woke up enough to remember that he was already _ten years old_ and throwing himself around his father neck is not the most _'cool'_ reaction possible. Instead, he froze halfway, watching his terribly confused mother. She avoided looking at him and she was silent - it was quite strange. Normally, she would have already yelled at him for not hearing her orders. Shikadai sighed.

-"Did you two kissed?" he asked, guessing what his _perverted_ parents _could_ do. He made a face, which despite the darkness of the corridor could be deciphered quite clearly - _disgust_.

-"It's not your business," Father said seriously, but he whispered to his wife a little too loudly: "Busted."

Temari smiled. Yes, they were caught red handed. But they could be caught in a much worse situation. The seconds saved them. She felt thrills at the thought of what their innocent little son could have witnessed. What a humiliating situation!

She smiled and shook her head, as if she wanted to shake off all the extreme feelings that were haunting her lately. She put her open palm on her husband's chest, in the spot where his heart was beating. Even now, while being drunk, he encouraged her. She loved him so much. And their family. Temari sighed.

-"Shikadai, what did I say?" She asked in her typical low voice, which meant that the boy was in trouble. - "Get back to bed, now!"

The boy looked at them undecided. He ran with his green (just big and dark in this moolight) pupils from his mother to his father.

-"And what up with you?"

-"We're going to sleep, too," Temari said, and embraced Shikamaru's waist, just in case he was really going to lose his balance and fall off the stairs. - "Come on, Shikadai!"

The boy looked at the parents for a moment, he knew something was wrong. He didn't know what exactly yet. Temari realized that her gestures didn't have a calming effect on her child. Well, he didn't often see his mother supporting the figure of his father. Temari just didn't want her son to smell the alcohol from his dad.

-"What's going on, Dad?" Shikadai asked by coming closer.

-"Nothing to worry, son. I just having too much fun with uncle Naruto and other guys" - he honestly answered and kissed the forehead of his caring wife. He knew that she didn't approve his decision, but he preferred to tell his son the truth. He even reached out to ruffle his child's hair, but suddenly he remembered where the fingers of his hand _had been few secund before_ , so he clumsily marked move to scratch his temple.

-"All right, let's go to bed!" Temari said irritated.

Shikadai ran to his room, and Temari left her husband by the door of their shared bedroom. He was still shaking, Shikamaru was losing his balance, but he knew how to get to bed. Once again he tenderly kissed her on the forehead and squeezed her in a very, very strong embrace. He almost lifted her up again. She smiled, at last completely happy and calm. Maybe that was what she needed? Tenderness instead of crazy sex? This feeling now was much more pleasant than his passionate kisses and crazy fucking on the stairs.

Well, crazy sex would also be good, but this _relaxing session_ must be postponed. She moved away from Shikamaru. Sighing, she went to her son's room. She knew him well enough to guess, that instead of sleeping, he just stay in bed and playing his pocket game. Shikadai didn't even try to pretend to be doing something else. He was lying on thetop of blankets, and the light from the game illuminated his beautiful face. He arched the brew in the questioning way. He's getting more and more sassy these days.

-"Hide it, now," she snapped threateningly.

While mumbling and complaining, Shikadai put the game to a backpack near the bed. Then his mom pulled the covers from under him and covered boy. She sat next to him, on the edge of the mattress.

-"Good night," she whispered, stroking his dark head.

-"Mom!" he frowned, pushing away her arm.

-"Sleep," she said calmly, looking tenderly at her little treasure for which she would do anything.

-"You don't need to stay here," he said irritably.

-"I know," she replied calmly.

-"I'm not afraid of the darkness anymore, you don't have to treat me like a tiny baby, you know?" - he growled, rising on his elbow.

-"I know." She realy do. Temari smiled with a twinkle in her eye and that smile made Shikadai calm down. He knew that his mother was taking him seriously. He laid back on the pillows. -"Today you behaved like a true shinobi. But until you're at least genin, listen to my commands, okay?"

-"You can stay as you want," he said quietly, closing his eyes. This time he didn't shake off her hand when she stroked him gently on the head and the back.

-"I want to, son..." - she whispered. She felt pride in his instincts, but she also felt sorry for him: they woke him up. Both of them gave the boy extra stress in the middle of the night. This is not the best example of parenting, but well. Now nothing can be done. Not everything comes out well even with a full-time mother.

She waited until he fell asleep. His quiet breath whistled softly in the darkness of the night. She left the room noiselessly, then went to the kitchen for water. She drank a lot herself and took a jug and a cup with her. For Shikamaru.

By the way, she checked the time. It was almost three in the morning.

Shikamaru's loud snoring greeted her in their bedroom. He lay on his back with his arms spread wide over their bed. Finally, his side of the bed was used. Temari smiled as she put the jug and cup on the bedside table on his side. She took off the robe and went under her own quilt. She pulled off her socks - now she wasn't cold, and have a different way to warm up. Under the covers, she clung with her feet and frozen toes to her husband's hairy calves.

She watched her husband's sharp profile and felt... safe. It's not like that sexual hunger has disappeared. No, she was still excited, but now the most important feeling that wrapped around her was a sense of absolute security. When he was so close, when he was so calm all her fears and doubts seemed so distant. She would like to feel that way forever.

The fact that he was handsome, and that he had the authorities, and that he could please many women didn't changed anything. What mattered was that _he is hers_. He belonged to her, just like she belonged to him.

-"You stare" - suddenly his snoring turned into an irritated accusation.

Temari smiled crookedly. She wanted to grab him by the nose, just for a joke, but he turned over and shoved aside. His strong, masculine arms again embraced her. She felt him squeeze her ass tightly, rubbing her buttocks up and down. Temari pressed her nose against his collarbone and was pleased to discover that his body was getting back to his normal, exciting scent of male musk and forest. Yes, she could still smell alcohol, of course, but her favorite fragance was palpable again. She felt her husband rest his chin on the top of her head and with whisper (and mumble) voice he said:

-"Honey, Ino, just go back to sleep..."

White, bright emptiness strike right through Temari being...

* * *

End of part II of Chapter Two

To Be Continued...

* * *

In the next chapter you will see Ino's perspective!

* * *

 **If you reached up here, please leave a review. Let me know what you liked and what you didn't like in my story, please. It motivates me to write.**

 **I hope this time the quality is a bit better. I had a beta reader this time, but she isn't (also) a native english-speaking person. Let me know, what do you think.**

 **Thank you for your time.**


	4. INO I

Chapter III

Ino

 **Dear reader:**

 **Thank you for your review and support! That mean so much to me!**

 **1** \- I hope you see how much I like all the characters I write about. And that I write about them in such a way that you feel my sympathy for them. If you think that I didn't give one of characters justice: let me know.

 **2** \- The presented story is the result of my own reflections on cultural differences and problems related to acclimatization in another country as a person from abroad. I focused on the theme of marital cheating because the Japanese view on this subject is completely different than European one.

 **3** - **I do not own Naruto or Boruto.** They belong to Kishimoto & the crew.

* * *

DAY III: Dawn

The bright light of dawn danced on the walls of the bedroom, softly flowing around numerous flowers in bright ceramic pots and books on the shelves. The delicate breeze moved the curtains slightly. Ino knelt in front of the dressing table, gently combing her long, a bit damp hair. She looked into her tired face in the mirror, on to her chapped and faded lips, on to her absent eyes. She sighed, putting away the brush. This situation will finish her off.

Suddenly she felt that something had changed. She felt someone's presence in the bedroom. She broke up quickly. In her right hand she already had kunai, while the left one was tying to tie up a seal to activate the previously prepared trap, but then she saw that only Shikamaru was lurking on the window sill of her bedroom. She relaxed, sighing.

He looked like shit - saying flatteringly. His complexion was gray, his eyes were blue, and his facial muscles seemed to stop cooperating with him: his cheeks, forehead, lips were slumping downwards, as if gravity attracted them with increased power.

-"Temari knows."

-"What does _Temari know_?"- Ino asked, tilting her head gently. Her fair hair fell softly forward on her breast.

But Shikamaru didn't answer. His gaze - although it was tired, it was still sharp and hard - said unequivocally for him. It confirmed the worst fears of Ino.

-"Couldn't you think of somethi...!"

-"I couldn't" he interrupted her. Very hard and firm. Seriously.

Ino sighed. Well, she had to face what her mother had told her yesterday, and what made her angry yesterday. _Temari knows_. She was at her home yesterday, armed, accompanied by Karui, demanding a meeting with Ino.

Ino perfectly remembered her mother's disgust - caused by her personal xenophobia - and Inojin's fear. The boy kept breathing for the whole time of his grandma and mom's conversation.

-"Seriously?" - the woman exploded in somewhat hysterically manner. She felt angry and disappointed. And betrayed.

-"I leave it to you." - he just said and left...

* * *

DAY II: Nightfall - I

-"Honey, Ino, go back to sleep" - Shikamaru said, hugging her firmly.

Ino was used to intimacy - intimately closeness - of Shikamaru. To the smell of his body, to the stink of his sweat, to the way his hands wrapped around her body. But this time she felt disgusted, she felt sick of this situation. It was so very wrong!

Worst of all was the fact that against her better judgement, she felt safe and excited in _this_ situation. As if she were pursuing a fantasy that didn't form the base pair for the base pair, as she imagined it, but it brought a kind of dangerous satisfaction.

-"You also go back home." she whispered, but her body wanted something just the opposite. She clung harder to him, sliding her hands over his ribs in a way that she shouldn't touch him in public. Slowly, sensually, the interior of the hand absorbing all the curvatures of his warm being. She took pleasure in the possibility of touching his body, the man's body. Even if he does reek of liquor just like some peasant bum.

Ino saw the surprised faces of Naruto and Lee over Shiki's shoulder. The light of the nights neons of the most entertaining part of the Village nights life flashed on their tipsy red-faces. Kiba just left the restaurant, picked a toothpick in his teeth, but when he saw the cuddly friends he enthusiastically jumped at them and hugged them too.

-"Oh, Ino! Our savior!" he shouted, embracing Ino and Shika from the side, with such strength that it was almost painful.

Naruto laughed loudly. Ino moaned, and drunken Shika staggered to the side, while trying to avoid himself from falling, he hunged all his weight on Ino's delicate frame. Ino leaned back, but Kiba's strong arms pressed her to his chest. Inuzuka swore badly. For a moment, the three of them fought for balance, swaying from side to side as Narutos, Lees, Choujis and Shinos laugh resonate along the street full of clubs and restaurants. And souplands.

In the end, Ino managed to untangle herself, but neither Shika nor Kiba completely let her out of their grip. Kiba embraced her shoulders, and Shikamaru's hand rested on the small of her back. Ino made sure the two men were standing steadily before looking at their faces.

Kiba was cheerful and looked at her defiantly. She liked this feature of his. He always provided her with a _safe flirt_ , he showed openly that he likes Ino as a woman, and at the same time it was clear that he would never leave beyod his bold words. He is looking at her, smiling to her, talking silly things to her even in Tamaki presence. And thats was fine. Flirting with Kiba was easy and refreshing for Ino, and it released some primitive, seductive strength inside her.

-"It was almost like a treesome." - He said.

-"Almost?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and blinking. - "Do you have experience in this area?"

-"Maybe," Kiba said, smiling broadly.

It was really nice to talk to him about sex, to run word-games and perverted innuendo that meant simply nothing, but that they both felt nice. Ino enjoyed knowing that it was not her body that attracted Kiba like a magnet, but her intellect.

That's when she felt the grip on her waist strongly increase. She turned to look at Shikamaru. The neon light of the streets reflected on his shiny forehead and was flashing in the ring hanging on the chain around his neck. His facial expression brought her to the ground, she knew him too well to downplay this silent order. This characteristic kind of Shikamaru's order "Focus, Ino!".

The woman clung to Shikamaru's side almost immediately, just as she had done for years. Her body automatically fitted into his body. But then she felt his gentle -unbearably delicate!- hands that stroked her back in a way that went far away from everything she'd ever remembered. She felt chills: cold and unpleasant. Yuck, just think it was her idea!

-"I'll walk him home." she offered, putting her hand on Shikamaru's sternum.

He understood the gesture. Maybe he felt her body stiff under the touch of his hands? It is difficult to say, but suddenly a limp and relaxed man posed his own body so that it would be easier to lead him. He put his arm on her shoulder and lowered lightly against her.

-"Who will walk you home?" Chouji asked.

-"Seriously, Chouji?" - she asked ironically, and Kiba laughed again. - "All of you, guys, go home! No more man's-only-evening-parties! It's good that Sai wasn't in Village, I would make him hell on earth after such a adventure! Well, go ahead, Naruto, lead everyone away from here! And don't get into any trouble again!"

-"Or what?" Kiba asked defiantly. - "Because then you'll have no choice and you'll have to come to our rescue again?"

Ino sighed. His remark would be funny if it was not so much accurate. Lady Yamanaka turned away, giving a good example to her friends and as a the first, in the company of wasted Shikamaru, left the door neighboring Yakini Kyu Q and Soupland MeowMeow.

-"And don't do anything naughty to Shikamaru along the way, did you hear me Ino?!" - Kiba shouted again.

* * *

DAY I: Nightfall

Ino bowed to Akaru as the first. The bow was not to deep, just as the tradition demanded from person on with hers social status. Akaru bowed moments later. Her bow was stiff and even rude, insulting. A badly tossed anger was boiling over her.

-"It will be as we agreed, Lady Akeru" - Ino said, knowing that the woman visiting her is experiencing terrible suffering.

-"You better not be mistaken, the Clan's Head," she said as if she was casting a curse. Sharply and abusively.

The woman's lips tightened closly as she stepped down to put her sandals on. The kerosene lamp gave a soft, yellow light in the dark hallway of an old wooden mansion in Yamanaka's estate. Akaru's shadow shimmered on the wall when she looked away and left, not even honoring Ino with just a last look. She closed the door behind herself. They slammed. All the wooden beams of the old house have shaken, including the one on which the kerosene lamp hung.

Ino sighed. She put her arms around her shoulders, feeling cold and compassion at the same time. All this situation with marital infidelity within the Yamanaka clan was difficult - difficult strategically and difficult morally. Certain principles are inscribed in a culture that must be respected. However, some of these principles are now obsolete. The conscious part of her mind knew how she supouse to act as Clans's Head. However, the subconscious rebelled against it, just as Temari rebelled this morning in the flower shop. Infidelity is a infidelity, regardless of all possible mitigating circumstances.

Ino sighed and stroked her hair. She felt so tired and lonely with all of _this_... She looked deep into her old house reserved for official inter-clan meetings. Huge, dark, emptiness ... Symbol of old laws, old traditions, old order and old beauty. A monumental _shell_ that pretends to be a _home_. She thought about how much this house - this beautiful cage - is metaphorical in relation to the secret jutsu of the Yamanaka clan and herself. How easy is it to use another, someone's else manipulated _shell_ to achieve the goal? And then come back to yourself, to your real _home_?

Eh ... how awful is it to treat your own body so objectively?

This aspect always aroused disgust and anger inside her. Probably inside her father too, because Inoichi was the one, who decided that the place that little Ino call _the home_ was outside the Yamanaka's estate.

The woman sighed and climbed to the toes to twist the wick of the old lamp. The flame faded, and darkness prevailed in the front patio distracted only by the light coming from the room in which she took the petitioners. Ino bent down to grab her sandals. She decided she would go out through the garden door after letting out all the lights in old mansion.

Looking at her bare feet with her nails painted in pastel pink, she moved to the meeting room, called "the study" by the Yamanaka' clan council, and a long time ago called "workshop" by Sai. Ha, ha, ha. She smiled at this warm and still carefree memory. Eh, Sai with all his awkward sweetness... mrrr...

The smell of kerosene and wet wood hit Ino in her nostrils as soon as she entered the room. The study was large, elegant, with hand-painted shouji screens. There was also an altar here with a photo of her father, and incense lit a few hours ago was still smoldering. Ino smiled at Inochi young face and failed to stop the bittersweet stream of thoughts about the circle of life, passing away, aging, death and birth. Inoichi and Inojin were a living example of how strong this chain of time and tradition was - they were never given a chance to meet each other, and their lives are so similar at the moment. This thought was sad and soothing at the same time.

The paper lanterns spread throughout the "study" were slowly extinguished as Ino's hands choked their flame, but when she was about to extinguish the last lantern, something caught her attention. There was a small envelope next to the pillow on which she sat during the meeting with Akaru. Certainly it was not here when both of them left the room, so _someone_ probably...

Ino's eyes widened, he focused on sensing the intruder's chakra. She found nothing disturbing in the radius of the next few meters. Well, the messenger just had to drop the message and run away.

Ino knelt on the pillow and in the light of the last lantern she read the message and then her heart sank...

* * *

DAY II: Morning

-"Lady Ino?" - Ibiki Morino was deeply surprised, when Ino at early hour of the morning dawned into his office, as if nothing had happened, as if it were routine. As if she did it every day! She just came in with a few folders of files under her arm and a bottle of mineral water. She simply sat at the table and spread her documents.

She behaved casualy, as if she hadn't just gone through all the possible security systems directly to the personal office of the head of the intelligence department. As if it wasn't her who without any problem just got to probably the best guarded place in Konoha! As if she didn't right now spread the top secret data with The Root emblem on her desk's surface.

-"Oh, don't bother. Work hard, please. Imagine I'm not even here" she said with a glamurous smile that was difficult to refuse, but there was also a hint of irony in her tone. - "I'll have my time with reading, take some notes and go to take care of my own bussines. You'll not even notice that I'm here, I promise."

Ibiki felt his brain is boiling, but he couldn't speak, still. Considering that it was difficult to express in words how strange it _all_ was, it was understandable! He watched calmly working Ino with staring eyes.

In theory, Lady Yamanaka was his deputy, the intelligence consultant, but this position was more of a titular tradition that continued the multigenerational custom that state the head of the Yamanaka Clan would work in an Intelligence Dep. rather than the implementation of hers actual professional aspirations. Lady Ino was first and foremost a medic, not an interrogator, like her grandfather.

-"Maybe I could help you somehow?" he asked when he finally regained the ability to speak.

A stunningly beautiful woman looked over at him. He wasn't used to this kind of gaze for years of cooperation (although sporadic) with Ino. It was cold, its calculating something, weighing the possibilities. Well, in the end she was the daughter of Inoichi - Ibiki reminded himself. She leaned against the chair and crossed her legs, and her long skirt caught his eye a little despite his will.

-"Actually yes" - she said unexpectedly returning to this familiar, warm tone of voice and the expression of the face of a beautiful, charming, house-wife. - "Tell me, who complete the squad for a mission that left the village today in the early hours?"

* * *

DAY II: Dusk

-"Ino, tell me what should I know?" - asked Shikamaru, while standing on the roof of the Hokage tower.

-"Only that that smelly shit hit the fan. " - her lips squeezed into a narrow line. - "And you made a terrible mess for me that I need to clean up." She took a deep breath, turning back to the settlement bathed in orange and pink. "But what is important for your note is that you sent a married man and his lover on a mission."

By saying these words she felt a pain in her chest. The light of the setting sun suddenly seemed more vivid and unbearable, and the space around instead of adding wings became terrifyingly vast and disturbing. Oh, she hated to living with all this tension all the time!

She turned around and saw something she didn't want to see in the face of Shikamaru at the moment! He should feel as bad as she felt! But he smiled and acted as if he was relieved!

-"And what are you grinning about, you idiot!" furious Ino shouted, and then Shikamaru's eyes closed tight and he winced.

-"Do you have any idea what you did !? How did you destroy those people's lifes?!"

Ino feeling anger, humiliation and compassion, she tried to persuade her former temamate to feel more _appropriate_ feelings than cool complacency. With a raised voice, she explained it to him as she usually explained _things_ to Inojin! She knew Shikamaru very well and she knew how fragile inside he is, and how much this fragile core he tried to protect by pretending to not feeling _at all_ or by denied his own _uncomfortably troblesome_ emotions. Ino knew which strings has to press to pull him out of this _emotionaly cold snare_ , but the problem lay in the fact that Shikamaru wasn't listening.

Well, its mean, he heard everything Ino shouted, but over the years of dealing with her and his mother, he developed a personal defense system for this type of information: he had to endure feminine screams, he listened, but he didn't hear the meaning of the speech, convinced he knew better anyway . And that he'll eventually do it - whatever _it_ is - in his way.

-"They killed their lives themselves, I just sent the best possible team on a mission" - told Shikamaru in an irritated tone. He searched his pockets with a nervous gesture. Ino knew that under the stress he needed to take a _life drag_ of cig's smoke. - "They are adults, they take responsibility for their own decisions in their personal lives. My job is deciding what they gonna do in their professional lifes."

-"You can not just cut off personal and professional life, Shika! As if one didn't affect the other and vice versa. It doesn't work like that!" she shouted angrily, but with every next word in her throat rising a cry. No, it was _fear_ and _despair_. Ino felt tears under her eyelids, and the orange light of the setting sun waved in front of her like some kind of veil. She felt that she was losing control of her own life. She felt that with the outburst of temperament she let herself feel all the fears. It dawned no her that she was no better than Shikamaru, that like him she was suffocating so much o her own emotion! That she is worried about other people's problems, while she ignoring hers own fears with all her might.

Shikamaru read her mood instantly. His hands wandering nervously around his pockets suddenly fell on her shoulders like a seat belt. His serious, comforting look drilled into her blue eyes. And he asked for the third time that day:

-"Do you have reason to suspect that something could prevent the success of the mission?"

-"I truly don't know if I have!" - she said calmly and clenched her fists with all her strength to stop the trembling. Her heart was now pounding in her chest like crazy, and the noise was pulsing inside her ears. She looked at the tired, aged by worries face of Shikamaru bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, and suddenly she just wanted to feel like a little girl. No problems, no threats, no hard decisions to make. She was sick of _all this_! She embraced an old friend and cried. Not loudly, or sobbing. No. She simply let tensions flow out with her tears, in healty ordet to feel her own power again.

She knew that Shikamaru understood her intention. He was like a brother to her.

-"Come." - he whispered. - "I think we need to talk."

* * *

Two hours later, they were sitting on the porch of the old main house in Yamanaka's estate. The bare feet of both of them hung a few centimeters above the densely growing grass. The air was crisp and the evening cool, so Ino put on the shoulders shawl decorated with hand-painted plum flowers against the blue sky. These colors emphasized her beauty, brought out the color of her eyes that seemed to shine in the twilight garden like the lit lanterns inside "the study" behind them.

Pensive Shikamaru was smoking a cigarette. He hunched over his knees. Maybe he was cold? His bright jacket lay on the floor in the office, next to the pillows - the seat - for the petitioners. And in front of the same pillow lay a piece of paper with the message she had received at yesterday evening. Mindlessly his hand went to the neckline. Ino watched as the man played with the wedding ring. As he turned it between his fingers, as he circled a in the middle of the wedding ring with his finger, then a circle on the outer edge of it. And she watched how he later scratched his chest in a place where the metal touched his skin. As if the metal _itched_ him. As if the marriage _itched_ him. As if he feels wrong with his marriage. As if it hurt him.

Ino get annoyed again. Why does she have to see so much!? She felt suddenly angry with herself, pissed off at the fact that when she finally gave herself time to feel her own anger, fear, love, then again her sharp mind distracts her by giving her new clues, which she could now take to draw her own attention away from hers own problems!

-"I'm thinking of how to solve it," Shikamaru said, he was still looking somewhere forward, with an absent gaze. - "I'm afraid that whatever we do, it will turn against us. It seems to me that we have been manipulated for a long time so that we can act in a predictable way at critical moments."

-"Do you think sending Takeru with his lover together on a mission was planned by someone long ago?"

Shikamaru nodded and drag on the cigarette. The end of the wick glowed with a bright heat. Ino tightened her fists until her knuckles whitened. She looked up at the porches around the inner garden of the old estate. Suddenly it dawned on her! How simple it was!

-"There's one way," she announced in a quiet, chilling voice. A calculated one, perhaps even cruel tone of her voice, that she didn't like to hear but which gave her _strength_. - "Very simple, fast and extremely expensive. But we will break the scheme. And we will gain time to solve it..."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, this time focusing all his attention on Ino. If she didn't boil of vengeful anger inside, she would have certainly laughed at seeing him so hunched and confused. He was still scratching his chest where his heart was beating, and where the ring touched his skin.

-"Are you ready to pay the price?"

-"What _price_? What do you mean, Ino?"

-"Very high price. Listen..."

He listened to Ino, then, shoulder to shoulder, they came out in the darkness of the evening with the tangled hands. Leaveing behind their back the old mansion in Yamanaka's estate. They both had a lot to think about.

They split up as planned, Shikamaru returned to the Hokage Tower, where Naruto waited for him, while Ino again went back to the office of Ibiki Morino to delve into the reading of the files...

* * *

DAY II: Nightfall - II

-"We have beautiful constellations today," Shikamaru mumbled as they walked the streets of the Village. He raised his chin up so we could see the sky. - "But there are also clouds!" - he sighed dreamily, and his drunken body leaned more heavily against Ino. "I'm setting off on a mission tomorrow morning, I would rather it wouldn't rain."

-"You're nervous." Ino whispered. It's not Shikamaru's style to babling about the weather. That's how small Shikamaru behaved, and adult Shikamaru no complaining abut tiny things anymore. It's a small metter which was just about to divert his attention from... - "A little bit more, you endure. Besides, I think you overdo it with alcohol. You really overdo with it, do you hear me, Shika?"

-"Maybe..." - he sighed again. - "Temari will probably be angry with me."

-"Don't think about her now," Ino whispered, feeling the claws of guilt sliding across her conscience. - "Now you are on a mission, focus on."

-"Right."

Ino deliberately led him through the crowded streets of the Village, so that the _right_ people found a breeding ground for ambiguous stories and gossip in the view of their cuddled bodies. They passed through the groups of drunken party-goers and night-owls, the square under the Hokage Tower, they passed her florist shop. Slowly wandering through the streets of the village, they reached the road leading to to the main gate of the Nara's estate.

-"Here's enough, Ino" - - Shika said and took his arm from her shoulder.

Suddenly she felt cold in this place, where she was surprised by absence of his warm body. With the lack of his touch she felt vulnerable and smal. She need to embraced hers own arms. She watched calmly as Shika look for a long, long time in the direction of his home, until he finally turns to her and hugged her, firmly and steadily. She was convinced that he would do it now, it would happen soon, but Shikamaru squeezed his head into the base of her neck. She felt his warm breath on the delicate skin below her ear, felt the warmth sneaking under her clothes. She realized how loud she was breathing, how her chest was rising and falling. It was a strange feeling, a strange situation.

-"Ino, possess my body, please" - whispered Shikamaru. He only pissed her off with this request.

He wanted to cast _all_ responsibility on her shoulders!? She didn't expect such a behavior from him! But she trusted Shika enough to do whatever he asked for. He was the leader on the mission, anyway.

Initially, as always she mastered a different, foreign perception: she was used to being in a different place, that her body had a different center of gravity, that she tightly pressing to her new, wide chest her own fair-haired, now empty _shell_. This time the task was more difficult because Shikamaru's flaccid body was under the influence of alcohol. She strengthened the grip of Shikamaru's hands on her own body-shell, so that anyone who is watching them now can not guess what really happened.

It was only when she had mastered all these physical aspects that she let herself feel the _friend's self_. His confusion, his desperation. His fear. Fear of rejection, loss, loneliness. Doubts. She understood it perfectly.

-"Don't feel lonely, Shikamaru" - she said inside this virtual space in his head - "You are here couse the pact that the three clans made to work together, protect each other and Konoha. And that's our only goal."

And knowing that the sooner it happens, the easier it will be for them, the lips of Shikamaru brushed against lips, those belonging to the now empty, beautiful puppet suspended in the grip of her own hands. She thought it was a really strange kind of narcissism...

And after a secund she was in her own body this time strengthening grip on the hips of the wobbly Shikamaru. The man moved away from her, pale, drunk and green on his face. He looks like as he was about to puke.

-"I must to..."

-"Shikamaru, I love you" - she whispered tenderly, just for a moment brushing his hands.

She saw that he understood what meaning of love she meant, and what interpretation of her words was meant for the person who is spying on them at the moment. Shikamaru calmed down. She saw how colors return to his face, as he remembers that it was just a farce, that this was his Ino. Sister, friend, family. And in the next moment he hugged her tightly, so much so that he gave both of them strength to face what awaited them. He whispered:

-"Honey, Ino, go back to sleep, please."- he repeated again, as if singing to her sweetest lullaby.

* * *

DAY V: Noon

Ino flashed between the trees. In the hilly part of the forest it was harder to move fast, especially on the northern steep slope, where jumping from branch to branch is practically impossible. Many things depended on whether or not she would run out on time. A lot depended on hers race against time.

-"Surprise, bitch!" -a woman's voice suddenly surprised her, indeed.

And in the next moment she rose up to the sky, with branches, leaves and stones. She was taken by a tornado that squeezed oxygen out of her lungs like lemon juice. She gasped for breath, feeling the work of every rib in her chest. She was afraid that her heart would explode soon. She waved her limbs desperately in the air. In this infernal caldoscope she rubbed at something, felt the burning on her leg. And sour pain on the right shoulder. She lost the sense of where the earth is, and where the sky. The air was a _monstrous_ element.

That's why when she suddenly fell face-down on a forest path, and the dust, gravel and branches filled her up, she felt relieved. She grabbed full fist of the ground and grass. She don't think she'd ever been so much excited about the close contact with the ground!

She was still feeling relatively safe when Temari turned her sore - and probably broken - body on her back with one hard kick.

But she was overwhelmed by the choking horror when another familiar face bent over her, and owner of those face, without warning, with a stern expression, drove a kunai into her stomach after the cracked hilt itself...

* * *

 **If you reached up here, please leave a review. Let me know what you liked and what you didn't like in my story, please. It motivates me to write.**

 **I know this chapter is a bit confusing. But it creates some important plot lines and fills the blank spaces between the events of the previous chapters.**

 **What do you think?**

 **Thank you for your time.**


	5. Tiny info

**Dear readers...**

During the whole of March and April a lot has happened in my life. I changed the city of residence, changed my flat and changed my job. And I started my next professional studies.

 **I want to point out that I declare that I have no intention to STOP writing this story!**

Just I think it's fair to inform you about the delays caused by my personal situation. :)

I enjoy this story and the characters too much to abandon them now. I know exactly where this plot is going, believe me. ;) I am asking you for understanding and constant support.

Soon I will post a new chapter - well, as soon as I finish translating it into English.

Thank you for your time!

 **~ S.**


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